Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Ribeirao Preto

For one person, living costs are similar in Colombo and in Ribeirao Preto: $804 and $813 a month, rent and utilities included.

Colombo, Sri Lanka
Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
Colombo
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$804
/mo nomad
Ribeirao Preto
🇧🇷 Brazil
$813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Ribeirao Preto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colombo and in Ribeirao Preto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $813 in Ribeirao Preto.

  • Colombo $804
  • Ribeirao Preto $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $1,301 in Ribeirao Preto.

  • Colombo $1,240
  • Ribeirao Preto $1,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $1,789 in Ribeirao Preto.

  • Colombo $1,675
  • Ribeirao Preto $1,789

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Ribeirao Preto 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.74 LKR 1,243
$8.19 R$44.08
-54.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.72 LKR 8,219
$38.57 R$208
-35.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.60 LKR 2,529
$6.62 R$35.62
14.80%
Cappuccino
$2.45 LKR 814
$1.63 R$8.78
50.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 LKR 227
$0.91 R$4.90
-25.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 LKR 89.9
$0.66 R$3.56
-59.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.22 LKR 739
$1.10 R$5.93
101.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 LKR 1,020
$1.82 R$9.80
68.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 LKR 521
$0.91 R$4.90
72.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.54 LKR 178
$1.55 R$8.33
-65.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.80 LKR 266
$1.17 R$6.32
-31.62%
Eggs
$1.71 LKR 568
$2.14 R$11.51
-20.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.92 LKR 4,628
$9.36 R$50.4
48.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.78 LKR 1,591
$4.22 R$22.70
13.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.46 LKR 2,481
$8.33 R$44.82
-10.44%
Apples (1kg)
$6.40 LKR 2,127
$2.50 R$13.45
156.00%
Banana (1kg)
$0.85 LKR 284
$1.27 R$6.83
-33.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.26 LKR 1,416
$1.48 R$7.95
187.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.33 LKR 443
$1.92 R$10.33
-30.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.00 LKR 334
$1.26 R$6.77
-20.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 270
$0.98 R$5.29
-17.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 LKR 308
$1.07 R$5.75
-13.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 LKR 151
$0.94 R$5.03
-52.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.33 LKR 3,436
$2.39 R$12.87
332.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.87 LKR 4,280
$8.48 R$45.63
51.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 LKR 642
$1.19 R$6.38
62.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 LKR 999
$1.87 R$10.08
60.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 LKR 59.4
$0.92 R$4.95
-80.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.96 LKR 1,983
$49.77 R$268
-88.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 LKR 134
$1.31 R$7.05
-69.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 LKR 116
$1.27 R$6.86
-72.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.94 LKR 312
$7.60 R$40.93
-87.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 LKR 438
$1.17 R$6.29
12.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.4K LKR 14.4M
$21.9K R$117.9K
98.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K LKR 13.2M
$30.0K R$161.3K
32.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.9 LKR 19.6K
$76.4 R$411
-22.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.20 LKR 1,397
$11.12 R$59.9
-62.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.61 LKR 6,855
$17.23 R$92.7
19.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.88 LKR 6,613
$19.55 R$105
1.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.81 LKR 1,933
$23.08 R$124
-74.83%
Cinema Ticket
$4.42 LKR 1,469
$6.43 R$34.59
-31.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$38.13 LKR 12.7K
$193 R$1,037
-80.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,214 LKR 403.6K
$7,509 R$40.4K
-83.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.77 LKR 5,909
$47.25 R$254
-62.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.62 LKR 5,527
$38.28 R$206
-56.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 LKR 25.9K
$79.1 R$426
-1.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.22 LKR 14.0K
$50.4 R$271
-16.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$586 LKR 194.8K
$242 R$1,304
141.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$275 LKR 91.5K
$202 R$1,087
36.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,677 LKR 557.7K
$469 R$2,522
257.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 LKR 163.0K
$361 R$1,940
35.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,636 LKR 1.2M
$1,050 R$5,651
246.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,158 LKR 385.1K
$738 R$3,969
57.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Colombo
Ribeirao Preto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$259 LKR 86.0K
$559 R$3,006
-53.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.69
12.38
2.50%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ribeirao Preto: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Colombo
$275
Ribeirao Preto
$202 26.5% $73
Groceries & Markets
Colombo
$235
Ribeirao Preto
$195 16.8% $40
Eating Out
Colombo
$103
Ribeirao Preto
$120 16.7% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombo
$84
Ribeirao Preto
$105 25.2% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Colombo
$69
Ribeirao Preto
$97 39.3% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Colombo
$29
Ribeirao Preto
$32 12.8% $3.7
Getting Around
Colombo
$8.8
Ribeirao Preto
$61 592% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Colombo and $242 in Ribeirao Preto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ribeirao Preto pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $39 in Ribeirao Preto. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $195, with Ribeirao Preto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Colombo
🇧🇷 Ribeirao Preto
🕒 Local time
10:21 10:21 AM
01:51 1:51 AM
8 h 30 min behind Colombo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
753,000
698,642
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Colombo Ribeirao Preto 14,180 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Colombo
  • Ribeirao Preto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ribeirao Preto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Colombo or in Ribeirao Preto?
On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Colombo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Colombo compared to Ribeirao Preto?
Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Colombo versus $242 in Ribeirao Preto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Colombo and in Ribeirao Preto?
Childcare runs $38 in Colombo versus $193 in Ribeirao Preto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Colombo and in Ribeirao Preto?
Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25 versus $39 in Ribeirao Preto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Colombo or in Ribeirao Preto?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Colombo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Colombo or Ribeirao Preto?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Colombo or to Ribeirao Preto?
It comes down to priorities – Colombo wins on affordability, Ribeirao Preto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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