Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Santa Rosa Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Santa Rosa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Colombo versus $749 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Colombo versus $1,146 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,615 in Colombo versus $1,543 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Colombo costs roughly 4% less than in Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 46% lower, Santa Rosa 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 LKR 1,369

$2.79 ₱172

48.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.16 LKR 8,344

$20.91 ₱1,289

20.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 LKR 2,719

$3.07 ₱189

167.10%

Cappuccino

$2.66 LKR 882

$1.21 ₱74.4

119.83%

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

$0.68 LKR 224

$0.37 ₱23.03

83.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LKR 135

$0.28 ₱17.30

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 LKR 793

$1.22 ₱75.5

95.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 LKR 1,136

$1.46 ₱89.7

134.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 LKR 574

$2.15 ₱133

-19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$1.26 ₱77.4

-57.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 274

$1.11 ₱68.4

-25.23%

Eggs

$2.23 LKR 739

$1.80 ₱111

23.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 LKR 4,648

$6.94 ₱428

102.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 LKR 1,543

$4.17 ₱257

11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 LKR 2,657

$7.20 ₱444

11.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,444

$4.35 ₱268

69.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LKR 371

$0.87 ₱53.6

28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.83 LKR 1,934

$2.91 ₱179

100.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 414

$1.65 ₱102

-24.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 379

$2.80 ₱172

-59.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 LKR 470

$4.19 ₱258

-66.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 LKR 379

$1.56 ₱96.3

-26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 LKR 196

$1.01 ₱62.4

-41.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 LKR 3,321

$3.15 ₱195

217.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,220

$9.16 ₱565

38.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 LKR 699

$1.62 ₱100.0

30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 985

$2.02 ₱125

47.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 LKR 48.01

$0.26 ₱15.90

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 LKR 1,687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 128

$0.78 ₱48.23

-51.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 109

$0.24 ₱14.86

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 LKR 199

$2.10 ₱129

-71.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 416

$1.09 ₱67.2

15.60%

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

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

$25.9K ₱1.6M

3.31%

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

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

70.41%

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

$60.5 LKR 20.1K

$53.5 ₱3,300

13.04%

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

$4.27 LKR 1,416

$33.33 ₱2,056

-87.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.34 LKR 5,086

$28.40 ₱1,751

-45.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 LKR 4,903

$33.49 ₱2,065

-55.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 LKR 2,358

$4.31 ₱265

64.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,086

$6.92 ₱427

-52.60%

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

$37.28 LKR 12.4K

$81.0 ₱4,995

-53.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$444 LKR 147.1K

$2,795 ₱172.4K

-84.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.15 LKR 9,002

$32.25 ₱1,989

-15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.13 LKR 6,344

$29.79 ₱1,837

-35.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 LKR 23.4K

$96.3 ₱5,939

-26.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.24 LKR 12.7K

$92.1 ₱5,680

-58.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 LKR 125.7K

$243 ₱15.0K

55.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 LKR 59.0K

$174 ₱10.7K

2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 LKR 310.7K

$402 ₱24.8K

132.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 LKR 119.6K

$281 ₱17.3K

28.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

$2,285 ₱140.9K

62.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,189 LKR 394.1K

$946 ₱58.3K

25.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 LKR 82.1K

$145 ₱8,945

70.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

8.13

102.34%

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

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Colombo and $243 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 71% 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 $21.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $221 per month, with Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Santa Rosa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Colombo pays 71% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $379 in Colombo versus $243 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $37.28 in Colombo versus $81.0 in Santa Rosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $21.00 in Santa Rosa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Colombo 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 Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Santa Rosa 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 Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Santa Rosa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.