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: $725 in Colombo versus $724 in Jinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,160 in Colombo versus $1,163 in Jinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,595 in Colombo versus $1,602 in Jinan.

Monthly costs are close between Colombo and Jinan; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 LKR 1,326

$2.86 ¥19.36

39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.39 LKR 8,469

$27.59 ¥187

-7.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 LKR 2,865

$4.83 ¥32.68

77.85%

Cappuccino

$2.61 LKR 872

$3.22 ¥21.81

-18.94%

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

$0.73 LKR 242

$0.45 ¥3.03

62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.23 ¥1.55

65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 LKR 769

$0.88 ¥5.96

161.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 LKR 1,087

$1.86 ¥12.55

75.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 LKR 564

$1.80 ¥12.17

-6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 186

$1.63 ¥11.03

-65.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 274

$1.07 ¥7.24

-23.36%

Eggs

$2.21 LKR 738

$1.18 ¥7.99

87.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 LKR 4,724

$9.22 ¥62.4

53.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 LKR 1,581

$2.72 ¥18.41

74.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 LKR 2,761

$9.35 ¥63.2

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$7.44 LKR 2,480

$1.22 ¥8.25

509.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 370

$0.90 ¥6.09

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.89 LKR 1,966

$1.32 ¥8.91

346.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 400

$0.76 ¥5.12

57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 387

$0.55 ¥3.70

110.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 LKR 452

$0.53 ¥3.58

156.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 LKR 396

$0.37 ¥2.51

221.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 LKR 201

$0.49 ¥3.28

22.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,392

$3.17 ¥21.41

220.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.86 LKR 4,290

$9.94 ¥67.2

29.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 LKR 703

$0.82 ¥5.54

157.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 997

$1.67 ¥11.26

79.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 64.5

$0.40 ¥2.71

-52.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.96 LKR 1,656

$8.20 ¥55.5

-39.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 129

$1.58 ¥10.69

-75.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 117

$0.30 ¥2.00

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 LKR 188

$4.16 ¥28.13

-86.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 421

$1.17 ¥7.92

7.69%

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

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

$16.7K ¥112.9K

60.80%

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

$34.7K LKR 11.6M

$18.2K ¥122.8K

90.89%

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

$60.9 LKR 20.3K

$86.1 ¥582

-29.19%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,433

$10.01 ¥67.7

-57.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.85 LKR 4,954

$6.82 ¥46.12

117.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.58 LKR 4,862

$94.9 ¥642

-84.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.44 LKR 2,482

$7.00 ¥47.31

6.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,093

$6.07 ¥41.05

-45.96%

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

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

$207 ¥1,399

-82.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$440 LKR 146.8K

$17.7K ¥120.0K

-97.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.09 LKR 9,369

$40.23 ¥272

-30.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.63 LKR 6,549

$29.13 ¥197

-32.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 LKR 23.3K

$76.7 ¥519

-8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.80 LKR 12.9K

$70.2 ¥475

-44.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 LKR 122.1K

$280 ¥1,895

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 LKR 58.1K

$154 ¥1,044

12.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 LKR 312.5K

$694 ¥4,690

35.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 LKR 122.1K

$318 ¥2,152

15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,583 LKR 1.2M

$2,323 ¥15.7K

54.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 LKR 385.9K

$1,352 ¥9,141

-14.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$240 LKR 80.0K

$990 ¥6,697

-75.77%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Jinan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Colombo and $280 in Jinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jinan pays 313% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25.00 in Colombo vs $28.00 in Jinan. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $171, 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

On paper, Jinan earns 313% less. 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: $366 in Colombo versus $280 in Jinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $36.45 in Colombo versus $207 in Jinan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 $724 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jinan hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Jinan wins on affordability, Colombo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.