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: $789 in Colombo versus $625 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,200 in Colombo versus $887 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,610 in Colombo versus $1,148 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Colombo is roughly 26% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 43% lower, Santa Rosa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 LKR 1,439

$2.44 ₱152

79.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.76 LKR 8,459

$16.85 ₱1,051

52.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,497

$2.78 ₱174

173.38%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 804

$1.13 ₱70.6

116.81%

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

$0.74 LKR 243

$0.36 ₱22.74

105.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.3

$0.25 ₱15.68

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 737

$0.97 ₱60.8

130.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 978

$1.29 ₱80.5

131.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 520

$1.69 ₱106

-6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 172

$1.12 ₱69.6

-53.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$1.02 ₱63.5

-20.59%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 539

$1.65 ₱103

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 LKR 4,329

$5.19 ₱324

153.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 LKR 1,662

$3.43 ₱214

47.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 LKR 2,345

$8.05 ₱502

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 LKR 2,196

$2.23 ₱139

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 288

$0.77 ₱47.73

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 LKR 1,428

$2.40 ₱149

81.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 424

$1.05 ₱65.2

22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 329

$1.67 ₱104

-40.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 263

$1.79 ₱111

-55.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 310

$0.65 ₱40.82

44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 LKR 161

$0.53 ₱33.17

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 LKR 3,401

$3.05 ₱190

239.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.67 LKR 4,489

$8.67 ₱541

57.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 645

$0.96 ₱60.0

104.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 LKR 948

$2.03 ₱127

42.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 57.2

$0.27 ₱16.87

-37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.29 LKR 2,395

$11.19 ₱698

-34.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 127

$0.77 ₱48.27

-49.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 LKR 127

$0.25 ₱15.67

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 312

$1.88 ₱117

-49.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 439

$1.04 ₱65.1

28.85%

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

$30.0K LKR 9.9M

$21.6K ₱1.3M

38.79%

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

$42.5K LKR 14.0M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

119.11%

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

$55.4 LKR 18.2K

$63.3 ₱3,945

-12.50%

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

$4.06 LKR 1,333

$6.53 ₱407

-37.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.56 LKR 6,750

$23.53 ₱1,467

-12.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 LKR 4,824

$32.41 ₱2,021

-54.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 LKR 1,945

$4.93 ₱308

20.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 LKR 1,455

$5.11 ₱319

-13.31%

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

$38.87 LKR 12.8K

$134 ₱8,359

-71.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,212 LKR 397.9K

$5,562 ₱346.8K

-78.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.17 LKR 6,622

$28.66 ₱1,787

-29.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.47 LKR 5,408

$19.68 ₱1,227

-16.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 LKR 26.6K

$73.4 ₱4,579

10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.13 LKR 14.2K

$55.0 ₱3,431

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 LKR 182.1K

$264 ₱16.5K

110.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 LKR 82.3K

$171 ₱10.7K

46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 LKR 519.1K

$503 ₱31.4K

214.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 LKR 134.6K

$179 ₱11.2K

128.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,725 LKR 1.2M

$2,614 ₱163.0K

42.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 LKR 397.6K

$1,046 ₱65.2K

15.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 LKR 82.6K

$143 ₱8,933

75.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

6.75

88.00%

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

Last update for Colombo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Colombo and $264 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26.00 in Colombo vs $17.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $170 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

Santa Rosa wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Rosa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Colombo, 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: $554 in Colombo versus $264 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rosa – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $625 in Santa Rosa versus $789 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rosa but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rosa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Rosa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.