Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Jinan Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Jinan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $727 in Colombo versus $717 in Jinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Colombo versus $1,142 in Jinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,596 in Colombo versus $1,566 in Jinan.

Living in Colombo is roughly 1% more expensive than in Jinan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 45% lower, Jinan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 LKR 1,316

$2.81 ¥19.00

39.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.88 LKR 8,337

$28.34 ¥191

-12.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 LKR 2,834

$4.94 ¥33.33

71.26%

Cappuccino

$2.74 LKR 919

$3.31 ¥22.36

-17.22%

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

$0.75 LKR 250

$0.44 ¥3.00

70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LKR 135

$0.25 ¥1.70

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 LKR 776

$0.83 ¥5.58

179.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 LKR 1,097

$1.92 ¥12.98

70.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 LKR 595

$1.78 ¥12.03

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 188

$1.66 ¥11.20

-66.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 293

$1.07 ¥7.24

-18.69%

Eggs

$2.18 LKR 731

$1.19 ¥8.02

83.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 LKR 4,687

$9.03 ¥61.0

54.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 LKR 1,579

$2.78 ¥18.77

69.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.21 LKR 2,751

$9.16 ¥61.9

-10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,491

$1.26 ¥8.53

489.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 LKR 355

$0.96 ¥6.51

10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 LKR 1,920

$1.30 ¥8.79

340.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 423

$0.72 ¥4.89

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 372

$0.59 ¥3.96

88.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 LKR 475

$0.49 ¥3.29

189.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LKR 388

$0.37 ¥2.51

213.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 LKR 187

$0.49 ¥3.31

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 LKR 3,376

$3.18 ¥21.47

216.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 LKR 4,248

$9.89 ¥66.8

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 695

$0.80 ¥5.41

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 995

$1.58 ¥10.67

87.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 55.1

$0.44 ¥2.98

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.07 LKR 1,700

$8.29 ¥56.0

-38.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 LKR 140

$1.63 ¥11.04

-74.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 109

$0.32 ¥2.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 LKR 194

$4.10 ¥27.67

-85.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.17 ¥7.93

3.42%

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

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

$16.5K ¥111.5K

59.79%

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

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

$17.8K ¥120.2K

98.86%

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

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

$85.5 ¥578

-30.15%

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

$4.30 LKR 1,439

$10.26 ¥69.3

-58.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.04 LKR 5,038

$6.76 ¥45.63

122.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 LKR 4,921

$94.8 ¥641

-84.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 LKR 2,437

$6.91 ¥46.69

5.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.45 LKR 1,155

$6.02 ¥40.69

-42.69%

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

$36.16 LKR 12.1K

$209 ¥1,409

-82.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$448 LKR 150.0K

$17.4K ¥117.8K

-97.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.11 LKR 9,084

$40.06 ¥271

-32.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.30 LKR 6,468

$29.43 ¥199

-34.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 LKR 23.7K

$77.0 ¥520

-8.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.20 LKR 13.1K

$70.6 ¥477

-44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 LKR 123.3K

$282 ¥1,904

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 LKR 60.1K

$155 ¥1,047

15.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 LKR 315.0K

$710 ¥4,793

32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 LKR 123.7K

$308 ¥2,083

19.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,615 LKR 1.2M

$2,332 ¥15.8K

55.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 LKR 395.3K

$1,258 ¥8,496

-6.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 LKR 81.8K

$981 ¥6,623

-75.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

3.94

317.51%

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

Last update for Colombo: July 28, 2026

Last update for Jinan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Colombo and $282 in Jinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jinan pays 302% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Colombo vs $28.00 in Jinan. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $170, with Jinan 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 Jinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinan wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jinan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 302% lower in Jinan. 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: $368 in Colombo versus $282 in Jinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jinan – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Jinan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jinan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jinan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jinan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.