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: $717 in Colombo versus $682 in Shantou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Colombo versus $1,079 in Shantou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,615 in Colombo versus $1,475 in Shantou.

Living in Colombo is roughly 5% more expensive than Shantou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 46% lower, Shantou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 LKR 1,376

$2.04 ¥13.81

102.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.16 LKR 8,392

$16.77 ¥113

50.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 LKR 2,735

$4.85 ¥32.83

69.07%

Cappuccino

$2.66 LKR 887

$3.25 ¥22.02

-18.15%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.47 ¥3.21

44.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.30 ¥2.05

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 LKR 797

$0.85 ¥5.78

181.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 LKR 1,143

$2.62 ¥17.73

30.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 LKR 577

$1.64 ¥11.12

5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$1.41 ¥9.51

-62.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 275

$0.68 ¥4.64

22.06%

Eggs

$2.23 LKR 743

$1.91 ¥12.95

16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 LKR 4,675

$12.68 ¥85.9

10.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 LKR 1,552

$3.74 ¥25.29

24.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 LKR 2,673

$12.23 ¥82.8

-34.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,458

$1.82 ¥12.30

304.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LKR 373

$1.47 ¥9.95

-23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.83 LKR 1,945

$1.67 ¥11.33

249.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 416

$1.23 ¥8.36

1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 381

$0.81 ¥5.51

40.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 LKR 473

$0.98 ¥6.65

44.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 LKR 381

$0.64 ¥4.32

78.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 LKR 198

$0.41 ¥2.75

43.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 LKR 3,340

$3.52 ¥23.81

184.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,245

$12.35 ¥83.6

3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 LKR 703

$0.82 ¥5.58

157.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 991

$1.87 ¥12.65

58.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 LKR 48.29

$0.37 ¥2.48

-62.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 LKR 1,696

$22.53 ¥153

-77.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 128

$1.56 ¥10.55

-75.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 110

$0.33 ¥2.23

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 LKR 201

$6.81 ¥46.07

-91.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 419

$1.14 ¥7.70

10.53%

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

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

$20.9K ¥141.2K

28.37%

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

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

$19.4K ¥131.1K

81.62%

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

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

$54.3 ¥368

11.34%

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

$4.27 LKR 1,424

$8.22 ¥55.6

-48.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.34 LKR 5,116

$12.89 ¥87.2

19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 LKR 4,932

$42.13 ¥285

-64.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 LKR 2,372

$14.10 ¥95.5

-49.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,092

$7.11 ¥48.14

-53.87%

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

$37.28 LKR 12.4K

$450 ¥3,049

-91.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$444 LKR 148.0K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

-97.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.15 LKR 9,054

$49.52 ¥335

-45.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.13 LKR 6,381

$30.31 ¥205

-36.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 LKR 23.6K

$75.8 ¥513

-6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

$79.5 ¥538

-51.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 LKR 126.5K

$281 ¥1,903

34.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 LKR 59.4K

$138 ¥933

29.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 LKR 312.5K

$550 ¥3,726

70.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 LKR 120.3K

$274 ¥1,855

31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

$3,174 ¥21.5K

17.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,189 LKR 396.4K

$1,799 ¥12.2K

-33.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 LKR 82.5K

$1,043 ¥7,062

-76.28%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Shantou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Colombo and $281 in Shantou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 322% 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 $257 vs $209 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 5% 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, Shantou earns 322% less. 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: $379 in Colombo versus $281 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 $682 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 5% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.