Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Dushanbe Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Dushanbe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in Colombo versus $938 in Dushanbe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,200 in Colombo versus $1,391 in Dushanbe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,610 in Colombo versus $1,843 in Dushanbe.

Living in Colombo costs roughly 16% less than in Dushanbe, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 43% lower, Dushanbe 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 LKR 1,440

$4.93 TJS 45.65

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.76 LKR 8,464

$20.33 TJS 188

26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,499

$5.45 TJS 50.5

39.45%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 804

$1.74 TJS 16.07

40.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 LKR 243

$0.57 TJS 5.31

29.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.4

$0.36 TJS 3.37

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 737

$1.18 TJS 10.88

89.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 979

$2.33 TJS 21.57

27.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 520

$1.07 TJS 9.87

47.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 172

$0.61 TJS 5.61

-14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$2.45 TJS 22.66

-66.94%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 539

$1.76 TJS 16.25

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 LKR 4,332

$10.83 TJS 100

21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 LKR 1,663

$4.29 TJS 39.69

17.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 LKR 2,347

$11.35 TJS 105

-37.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 LKR 2,198

$1.92 TJS 17.78

248.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 288

$2.80 TJS 25.88

-68.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 LKR 1,429

$2.69 TJS 24.88

61.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 425

$1.27 TJS 11.72

1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 330

$0.59 TJS 5.50

69.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 263

$0.40 TJS 3.71

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 310

$0.88 TJS 8.13

6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 LKR 162

$0.66 TJS 6.09

-25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 LKR 3,403

$3.71 TJS 34.36

179.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.67 LKR 4,492

$11.20 TJS 104

22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 646

$1.45 TJS 13.42

35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 LKR 948

$2.05 TJS 18.99

40.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.2

$0.26 TJS 2.40

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.29 LKR 2,397

$32.94 TJS 305

-77.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 127

$1.05 TJS 9.72

-62.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 LKR 127

$0.31 TJS 2.86

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 312

$6.36 TJS 58.9

-85.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 439

$1.17 TJS 10.87

14.53%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.0K LKR 9.9M

$16.6K TJS 153.2K

81.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.5K LKR 14.0M

$24.3K TJS 224.5K

75.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$55.4 LKR 18.2K

$67.6 TJS 625

-18.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.06 LKR 1,333

$9.91 TJS 91.7

-59.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.56 LKR 6,755

$17.29 TJS 160

18.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 LKR 4,827

$44.95 TJS 416

-67.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 LKR 1,947

$14.47 TJS 134

-59.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 LKR 1,456

$5.45 TJS 50.4

-18.72%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$38.87 LKR 12.8K

$84.6 TJS 783

-54.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,212 LKR 398.2K

$5,590 TJS 51.7K

-78.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.17 LKR 6,626

$24.50 TJS 227

-17.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.47 LKR 5,411

$52.0 TJS 481

-68.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 LKR 26.6K

$78.1 TJS 722

3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.13 LKR 14.2K

$55.9 TJS 517

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 LKR 182.2K

$629 TJS 5,819

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 LKR 82.3K

$358 TJS 3,316

-30.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 LKR 519.5K

$868 TJS 8,026

82.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 LKR 134.7K

$562 TJS 5,197

-27.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,725 LKR 1.2M

$1,303 TJS 12.1K

185.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 LKR 397.9K

$697 TJS 6,448

73.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 LKR 82.7K

$449 TJS 4,158

-44.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

23.17

-45.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Colombo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dushanbe: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Colombo and $629 in Dushanbe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dushanbe pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26.00 in Colombo vs $20.00 in Dushanbe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $213 per month, with Dushanbe cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Colombo vs Dushanbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Dushanbe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Dushanbe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $554 in Colombo versus $629 in Dushanbe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dushanbe pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $20.00 in Dushanbe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $789 in Colombo versus $938 in Dushanbe, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Dushanbe. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $789 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Dushanbe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Dushanbe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.