Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Irbid Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Irbid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Colombo versus $782 in Irbid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Colombo versus $1,216 in Irbid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Colombo versus $1,650 in Irbid.

Living in Colombo is roughly 3% more expensive than in Irbid, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Irbid 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 LKR 1,447

$4.17 JOD 2.95

4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.64 LKR 8,509

$42.23 JOD 29.89

-39.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 LKR 2,492

$7.00 JOD 4.96

7.29%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 854

$1.47 JOD 1.04

74.83%

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

$0.69 LKR 229

$0.50 JOD 0.35

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.32 JOD 0.23

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 741

$6.39 JOD 4.53

-65.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,018

$5.81 JOD 4.11

-47.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 LKR 536

$1.17 JOD 0.83

37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 189

$0.45 JOD 0.32

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 260

$1.57 JOD 1.11

-50.32%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 547

$1.81 JOD 1.28

-8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 LKR 4,337

$7.65 JOD 5.41

70.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 LKR 1,676

$4.75 JOD 3.36

6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 LKR 2,364

$12.54 JOD 8.88

-43.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 LKR 2,311

$1.39 JOD 0.99

400.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 272

$1.51 JOD 1.07

-45.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 LKR 1,431

$1.04 JOD 0.74

314.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 409

$0.58 JOD 0.41

112.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$0.96 JOD 0.68

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.80 JOD 0.57

1.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 310

$0.62 JOD 0.44

51.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.66 JOD 0.47

-30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,365

$3.47 JOD 2.46

192.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 LKR 4,489

$7.06 JOD 5.00

91.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$2.79 JOD 1.97

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 LKR 946

$4.21 JOD 2.98

-32.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 55.7

$0.74 JOD 0.52

-77.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.05 LKR 2,341

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 127

$0.51 JOD 0.36

-25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-74.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$6.92 JOD 4.90

-87.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 LKR 448

$1.61 JOD 1.14

-16.15%

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

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

$26.5K JOD 18.7K

40.48%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.6M

$30.9K JOD 21.9K

32.16%

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

$55.6 LKR 18.4K

$97.4 JOD 69.0

-42.98%

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

$4.17 LKR 1,385

$15.74 JOD 11.14

-73.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 LKR 6,809

$31.53 JOD 22.32

-34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 LKR 4,876

$34.62 JOD 24.50

-57.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.82 LKR 1,931

$21.21 JOD 15.01

-72.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 LKR 1,507

$9.91 JOD 7.01

-54.19%

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

$38.14 LKR 12.7K

$91.2 JOD 64.5

-58.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 407.0K

$3,946 JOD 2,793

-68.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.94 LKR 6,617

$43.89 JOD 31.06

-54.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.86 LKR 5,596

$28.68 JOD 20.30

-41.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 LKR 26.7K

$80.3 JOD 56.8

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

$48.95 JOD 34.64

-13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 LKR 199.3K

$221 JOD 157

171.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 LKR 88.9K

$164 JOD 116

63.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 LKR 493.0K

$398 JOD 282

273.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 LKR 143.4K

$306 JOD 217

41.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

$510 JOD 361

632.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 LKR 395.7K

$500 JOD 354

138.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LKR 83.1K

$553 JOD 392

-54.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

6.81

86.34%

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

Last update for Colombo: September 15, 2026

Last update for Irbid: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $601 in Colombo and $221 in Irbid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irbid pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Colombo vs $42.00 in Irbid. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $189, with Irbid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Irbid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irbid wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irbid the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Irbid. 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: $601 in Colombo versus $221 in Irbid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $38.14 in Colombo versus $91.2 in Irbid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Irbid – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Irbid versus $805 in Colombo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irbid but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Irbid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irbid delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $782 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irbid hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Irbid 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 Irbid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.