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: $718 in Colombo versus $749 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,153 in Colombo versus $1,146 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,588 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

$4.07 LKR 1,366

$2.76 ₱170

47.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 LKR 8,492

$21.63 ₱1,332

16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 LKR 2,891

$3.03 ₱187

183.83%

Cappuccino

$2.71 LKR 909

$1.26 ₱77.8

115.08%

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

$0.69 LKR 232

$0.40 ₱24.89

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LKR 136

$0.28 ₱17.39

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 LKR 764

$1.27 ₱78.2

78.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 LKR 1,099

$1.41 ₱86.6

131.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 LKR 571

$2.09 ₱129

-18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 LKR 185

$1.21 ₱74.5

-54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 295

$1.12 ₱69.0

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.14 LKR 721

$1.80 ₱111

18.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 LKR 4,662

$6.93 ₱427

100.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,606

$4.20 ₱258

13.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 LKR 2,717

$7.16 ₱441

12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$7.65 LKR 2,570

$4.47 ₱275

71.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 359

$0.92 ₱56.7

16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 LKR 1,963

$2.92 ₱180

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 421

$1.64 ₱101

-23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 384

$2.86 ₱176

-60.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 LKR 458

$4.08 ₱251

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 403

$1.59 ₱97.8

-24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 LKR 190

$1.01 ₱62.4

-44.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 LKR 3,358

$3.20 ₱197

212.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 LKR 4,266

$9.00 ₱554

41.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 702

$1.54 ₱95.1

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 974

$1.99 ₱122

45.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 54.7

$0.26 ₱16.00

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.93 LKR 1,657

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 129

$0.78 ₱48.24

-51.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 119

$0.24 ₱14.82

45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 LKR 207

$2.11 ₱130

-70.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 LKR 401

$1.09 ₱67.1

9.17%

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

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

$25.8K ₱1.6M

5.21%

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

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

66.48%

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

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

$52.5 ₱3,230

13.61%

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

$4.30 LKR 1,444

$33.43 ₱2,058

-87.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.37 LKR 5,165

$28.79 ₱1,772

-46.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.83 LKR 4,984

$33.44 ₱2,059

-55.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 LKR 2,484

$4.45 ₱274

66.07%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,103

$7.17 ₱442

-54.25%

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

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

$81.2 ₱4,999

-55.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$442 LKR 148.5K

$2,799 ₱172.3K

-84.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 LKR 9,318

$32.18 ₱1,981

-13.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.12 LKR 6,425

$29.83 ₱1,836

-35.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

$98.6 ₱6,068

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

$93.0 ₱5,728

-57.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 LKR 123.6K

$252 ₱15.5K

45.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 LKR 58.0K

$174 ₱10.7K

-0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 LKR 326.1K

$397 ₱24.4K

144.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 LKR 123.9K

$281 ₱17.3K

31.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

$2,551 ₱157.0K

40.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

$969 ₱59.6K

19.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 LKR 84.2K

$148 ₱9,096

69.60%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Colombo and $252 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 70% 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 $22.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 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.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $368 in Colombo versus $252 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $36.45 in Colombo versus $81.2 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 $22.00 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 $718 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.