Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Shantou Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Shantou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Colombo versus $705 in Shantou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,153 in Colombo versus $1,103 in Shantou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,588 in Colombo versus $1,500 in Shantou.

Living in Colombo is roughly 2% more expensive than in Shantou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 46% lower, Shantou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 LKR 1,366

$2.03 ¥13.71

100.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 LKR 8,494

$16.87 ¥114

49.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 LKR 2,891

$4.97 ¥33.57

73.04%

Cappuccino

$2.71 LKR 909

$3.24 ¥21.92

-16.36%

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

$0.69 LKR 232

$0.47 ¥3.20

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LKR 136

$0.30 ¥2.05

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 LKR 764

$0.80 ¥5.42

183.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 LKR 1,099

$2.67 ¥18.07

22.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 LKR 571

$1.69 ¥11.39

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 LKR 185

$1.37 ¥9.26

-59.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 295

$0.71 ¥4.82

23.94%

Eggs

$2.14 LKR 721

$1.86 ¥12.58

15.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 LKR 4,663

$12.66 ¥85.5

9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,606

$3.76 ¥25.40

27.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 LKR 2,717

$12.25 ¥82.8

-33.96%

Apples (1kg)

$7.65 LKR 2,571

$1.88 ¥12.72

306.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 359

$1.43 ¥9.66

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 LKR 1,964

$1.68 ¥11.34

247.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 421

$1.28 ¥8.62

-2.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 384

$0.78 ¥5.27

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 LKR 458

$0.95 ¥6.42

43.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 403

$0.68 ¥4.58

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 LKR 190

$0.43 ¥2.91

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 LKR 3,358

$3.39 ¥22.89

194.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 LKR 4,267

$12.39 ¥83.7

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 702

$0.83 ¥5.62

151.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 974

$1.82 ¥12.33

59.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 54.7

$0.36 ¥2.46

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.93 LKR 1,657

$22.01 ¥149

-77.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 129

$1.54 ¥10.41

-75.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 119

$0.36 ¥2.41

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 LKR 207

$6.69 ¥45.24

-90.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 LKR 401

$1.14 ¥7.71

4.39%

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

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

$21.1K ¥142.7K

28.75%

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

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

$19.5K ¥131.5K

76.14%

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

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

$53.3 ¥360

11.88%

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

$4.30 LKR 1,444

$8.53 ¥57.6

-49.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.37 LKR 5,166

$12.89 ¥87.1

19.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.83 LKR 4,984

$41.05 ¥277

-63.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 LKR 2,485

$14.13 ¥95.5

-47.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,104

$6.78 ¥45.85

-51.62%

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

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

$450 ¥3,038

-91.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$442 LKR 148.5K

$20.2K ¥136.5K

-97.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 LKR 9,320

$49.29 ¥333

-43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.12 LKR 6,426

$29.86 ¥202

-35.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

$75.6 ¥511

-8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

$77.8 ¥526

-49.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 LKR 123.6K

$280 ¥1,894

31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 LKR 58.0K

$139 ¥937

24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 LKR 326.2K

$567 ¥3,829

71.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 LKR 124.0K

$281 ¥1,901

31.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

$2,249 ¥15.2K

59.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

$4,385 ¥29.6K

-73.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 LKR 84.2K

$1,037 ¥7,009

-75.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

4.04

307.18%

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

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Last update for Shantou: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Colombo and $280 in Shantou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 314% 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 $17.00 in Shantou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $210 per month, with Shantou 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 Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shantou wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shantou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 314% lower in Shantou. 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: $368 in Colombo versus $280 in Shantou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shantou – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shantou 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 Shantou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shantou hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Shantou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.