Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Haikou Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Haikou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Colombo versus $804 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Colombo versus $1,136 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,610 in Colombo versus $1,468 in Haikou.

Living in Colombo costs roughly 4% less than in Haikou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 44% lower, Haikou 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 LKR 1,480

$4.37 ¥29.31

3.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.96 LKR 8,517

$15.16 ¥102

71.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 LKR 2,557

$6.03 ¥40.47

29.35%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 810

$2.40 ¥16.09

2.92%

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

$0.70 LKR 228

$0.80 ¥5.40

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.37 ¥2.46

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 734

$1.46 ¥9.78

53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,010

$2.69 ¥18.07

14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 535

$2.07 ¥13.86

-21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 187

$1.45 ¥9.75

-60.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 264

$0.69 ¥4.60

15.94%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 541

$1.35 ¥9.07

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 LKR 4,292

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 LKR 1,627

$3.91 ¥26.21

26.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.27 LKR 2,384

$15.82 ¥106

-54.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 LKR 2,218

$1.69 ¥11.31

300.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 272

$0.93 ¥6.24

-10.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 LKR 1,369

$1.09 ¥7.33

282.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 423

$0.91 ¥6.08

41.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 343

$0.83 ¥5.55

26.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 266

$0.73 ¥4.90

10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 290

$0.46 ¥3.09

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 LKR 159

$0.56 ¥3.77

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 LKR 3,361

$3.14 ¥21.04

226.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 LKR 4,584

$8.86 ¥59.5

57.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 621

$0.57 ¥3.83

231.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 LKR 911

$1.22 ¥8.21

127.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 56.5

$0.93 ¥6.27

-81.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.39 LKR 2,425

$52.8 ¥354

-86.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 LKR 138

$2.22 ¥14.89

-81.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 117

$0.43 ¥2.87

-16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 288

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 435

$1.23 ¥8.27

8.13%

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

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

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

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

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

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

$35.52 ¥238

54.48%

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

$4.13 LKR 1,354

$13.40 ¥89.9

-69.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 LKR 6,838

$13.29 ¥89.2

56.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.29 LKR 4,687

$44.71 ¥300

-68.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 LKR 1,858

$6.17 ¥41.41

-8.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 LKR 1,419

$4.59 ¥30.79

-5.66%

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

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

$865 ¥5,805

-95.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,223 LKR 401.1K

$19.5K ¥131.0K

-93.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.78 LKR 6,487

$26.31 ¥177

-24.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.93 LKR 5,555

$34.56 ¥232

-51.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

$43.97 ¥295

80.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

$37.48 ¥251

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 LKR 179.5K

$371 ¥2,488

47.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 LKR 81.2K

$293 ¥1,963

-15.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

$582 ¥3,907

170.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 LKR 132.3K

$361 ¥2,422

11.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

$3,200 ¥21.5K

17.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

$2,158 ¥14.5K

-44.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LKR 82.0K

$729 ¥4,891

-65.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

3.85

229.61%

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

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Haikou: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $547 in Colombo and $371 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 192% 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 $15.00 in Haikou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $169 per month, with Haikou 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 Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Haikou. 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 192% lower in Haikou. 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: $547 in Colombo versus $371 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Haikou pay roughly 40% 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 $15.00 in Haikou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Colombo versus $804 in Haikou, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Haikou. 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 $771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Haikou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.