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: $805 in Colombo versus $677 in Shantou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Colombo versus $1,107 in Shantou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Colombo versus $1,537 in Shantou.

Living in Colombo is roughly 19% more expensive than in Shantou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Shantou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 LKR 1,444

$2.26 ¥15.12

92.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.64 LKR 8,489

$23.62 ¥158

8.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 LKR 2,486

$5.33 ¥35.73

40.90%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$3.37 ¥22.56

-23.74%

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$0.47 ¥3.13

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.7

$0.31 ¥2.06

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 739

$0.91 ¥6.12

145.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,015

$2.18 ¥14.62

40.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 LKR 535

$1.63 ¥10.90

-1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 189

$1.51 ¥10.12

-62.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 259

$0.75 ¥5.03

4.00%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 546

$1.72 ¥11.54

-4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 LKR 4,327

$13.69 ¥91.7

-4.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 LKR 1,672

$3.65 ¥24.47

38.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 LKR 2,359

$13.17 ¥88.2

-45.94%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 LKR 2,306

$1.95 ¥13.03

256.92%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 272

$1.57 ¥10.51

-47.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 LKR 1,427

$1.81 ¥12.10

138.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 408

$1.31 ¥8.77

-6.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$0.88 ¥5.87

13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$1.05 ¥7.04

-22.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 310

$0.54 ¥3.64

74.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.44 ¥2.95

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,357

$3.82 ¥25.58

165.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 LKR 4,479

$12.48 ¥83.6

8.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 633

$0.85 ¥5.69

124.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 LKR 944

$1.76 ¥11.76

61.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 55.6

$0.36 ¥2.40

-52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.05 LKR 2,335

$23.95 ¥160

-70.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 127

$1.53 ¥10.24

-75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.35 ¥2.36

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

$7.36 ¥49.30

-88.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 LKR 447

$1.26 ¥8.41

7.14%

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

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

$19.1K ¥128.2K

94.23%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$18.4K ¥123.3K

122.07%

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

$55.6 LKR 18.4K

$57.4 ¥385

-3.24%

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

$4.17 LKR 1,382

$9.00 ¥60.3

-53.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 LKR 6,793

$13.88 ¥93.0

47.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 LKR 4,864

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.82 LKR 1,926

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 LKR 1,503

$7.65 ¥51.2

-40.65%

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

$38.14 LKR 12.6K

$534 ¥3,574

-92.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 406.0K

$24.2K ¥162.0K

-94.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.94 LKR 6,601

$50.1 ¥336

-60.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.86 LKR 5,583

$39.61 ¥265

-57.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 LKR 26.7K

$68.8 ¥461

17.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

$87.7 ¥588

-51.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 LKR 198.9K

$300 ¥2,011

100.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 LKR 88.7K

$151 ¥1,009

77.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 LKR 491.8K

$601 ¥4,025

147.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 LKR 143.0K

$299 ¥2,004

44.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

$2,255 ¥15.1K

65.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 LKR 394.8K

$4,385 ¥29.4K

-72.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LKR 82.9K

$1,059 ¥7,093

-76.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

3.37

276.56%

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

Last update for Colombo: September 15, 2026

Last update for Shantou: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $601 in Colombo and $300 in Shantou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 323% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Colombo vs $24.00 in Shantou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $218 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 19% 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 323% 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: $601 in Colombo versus $300 in Shantou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $24.00 versus $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $677 in Shantou versus $805 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shantou but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Shantou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shantou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $677 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 19% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.