Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Sousse Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Sousse

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Colombo versus $710 in Sousse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Colombo versus $1,145 in Sousse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,615 in Colombo versus $1,580 in Sousse.

Living in Colombo is roughly 1% more expensive than Sousse, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.13 LKR 1,381

$3.84 TND 11.10

7.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.16 LKR 8,420

$23.99 TND 69.3

4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 LKR 2,744

$5.18 TND 14.97

58.30%

Cappuccino

$2.66 LKR 890

$0.96 TND 2.78

177.08%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.70 TND 2.04

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.29 TND 0.83

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 LKR 800

$1.17 TND 3.38

104.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 LKR 1,146

$1.60 TND 4.62

114.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 LKR 579

$0.50 TND 1.45

246.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.18 TND 0.52

194.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$1.32 TND 3.83

-37.12%

Eggs

$2.23 LKR 746

$1.74 TND 5.03

28.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 LKR 4,690

$11.93 TND 34.49

17.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 LKR 1,557

$5.57 TND 16.09

-16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 LKR 2,681

$13.79 TND 39.85

-41.91%

Apples (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,466

$1.56 TND 4.52

372.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LKR 375

$3.20 TND 9.24

-65.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.83 LKR 1,952

$0.92 TND 2.66

533.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 417

$0.63 TND 1.81

98.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 382

$0.65 TND 1.88

75.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 LKR 475

$0.64 TND 1.84

121.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 LKR 382

$0.44 TND 1.27

159.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 LKR 198

$0.32 TND 0.93

84.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 LKR 3,351

$3.52 TND 10.18

184.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,259

$5.16 TND 14.92

146.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 LKR 706

$1.19 TND 3.44

77.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 994

$1.08 TND 3.13

175.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 LKR 48.45

$0.30 TND 0.88

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 LKR 1,702

$10.08 TND 29.12

-49.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 129

$0.32 TND 0.92

18.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 110

$0.48 TND 1.40

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 LKR 201

$5.95 TND 17.19

-89.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 420

$0.88 TND 2.54

43.18%

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

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

$47.1K TND 136.0K

-43.12%

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

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

$35.6K TND 102.7K

-1.08%

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

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

$65.4 TND 189

-7.44%

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

$4.27 LKR 1,429

$11.03 TND 31.89

-61.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.34 LKR 5,133

$18.56 TND 53.6

-17.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 LKR 4,948

$27.23 TND 78.7

-45.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 LKR 2,380

$26.80 TND 77.4

-73.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,096

$6.61 TND 19.11

-50.38%

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

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

$105 TND 304

-64.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$444 LKR 148.5K

$3,235 TND 9,349

-86.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.15 LKR 9,084

$41.75 TND 121

-34.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.13 LKR 6,402

$60.2 TND 174

-68.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

$150 TND 432

-52.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

$81.7 TND 236

-53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 LKR 126.9K

$244 TND 704

55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 LKR 59.6K

$167 TND 482

6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 LKR 313.6K

$437 TND 1,263

114.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 LKR 120.7K

$324 TND 938

11.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

$1,001 TND 2,893

272.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

$648 TND 1,872

83.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 LKR 82.8K

$393 TND 1,136

-37.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

37.08%

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

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Sousse: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Colombo and $244 in Sousse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sousse pays 59% 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 $24.00 in Sousse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $185 per month, with Sousse 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 Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sousse wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sousse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Sousse earns 59% 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 $244 in Sousse. 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 Sousse – a meal for two runs $24.00 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 Sousse 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 Sousse delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $710 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sousse hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Sousse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.