Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Tabriz

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabriz: $409 a month against $805 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Tabriz
Learn more

Tabriz Living Index

Jump to prices

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Tabriz

🇮🇷 Iran

$409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Tabriz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colombo and in Tabriz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Colombo versus $409 in Tabriz.

Colombo $805
Tabriz $409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,211 in Colombo versus $689 in Tabriz.

Colombo $1,211
Tabriz $689

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,617 in Colombo versus $968 in Tabriz.

Colombo $1,617
Tabriz $968

Living in Colombo is roughly 97% more expensive than in Tabriz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 40% lower, Tabriz 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,287

$3.06 $3.06

27.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.55 LKR 8,130

$15.10 $15.10

62.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,519

$3.98 $3.98

90.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 $1.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 845

$1.36 $1.36

87.50%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.59 $0.59

15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.62 $0.62

-56.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 745

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,019

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$0.59 $0.59

176.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$0.37 $0.37

56.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$3.60 $3.60

-78.61%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 571

$0.91 $0.91

89.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

$4.81 $4.81

190.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 LKR 1,587

$2.86 $2.86

67.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 LKR 2,455

$9.65 $9.65

-23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,168

$1.01 $1.01

547.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 267

$1.32 $1.32

-39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$0.85 $0.85

403.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 427

$0.57 $0.57

126.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$0.53 $0.53

88.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 256

$0.51 $0.51

50.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 296

$0.42 $0.42

111.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.19 $0.19

121.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 $0.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 LKR 3,413

$2.07 $2.07

397.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,274

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 633

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 969

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 63.9

$0.09 $0.09

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.27 LKR 2,407

$12.10 $12.10

-39.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$0.41 $0.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.21 $0.21

76.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 LKR 305

$3.91 $3.91

-76.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 445

$0.09 $0.09

1388.89%

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

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

$73.4K $73.4K

-50.43%

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

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

$53.0K $53.0K

-24.94%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

$14.19 $14.19

315.57%

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

$4.37 LKR 1,446

$1.91 $1.91

128.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.37 LKR 6,748

$5.57 $5.57

265.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.72 LKR 4,545

$14.36 $14.36

-4.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 LKR 1,868

$24.65 $24.65

-77.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,476

$1.49 $1.49

199.33%

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

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

$60.6 $60.6

-36.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

$550 $550

120.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.16 LKR 6,016

$15.57 $15.57

16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.76 LKR 5,550

$10.66 $10.66

57.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

$75.3 $75.3

4.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

$49.19 $49.19

-13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 LKR 191.3K

$151 $151

281.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 LKR 91.8K

$119 $119

132.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

$374 $374

299.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 LKR 143.4K

$248 $248

74.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

$860 $860

326.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

$837 $837

39.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 85.9K

$232 $232

11.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

22.5

-43.60%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tabriz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$277 34.4%

Tabriz

$119 29.2% 57% $158

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$236 29.3%

Tabriz

$111 27.2% 52.8% $124

Eating Out

Colombo

$106 13.1%

Tabriz

$58 14.1% 45.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Tabriz

$22 5.3% 74.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$70 8.7%

Tabriz

$68 16.6% 3.3% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$23 2.8%

Tabriz

$17 4.2% 23.4% $5.3

Getting Around

Colombo

$10 1.3%

Tabriz

$14 3.4% 35% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Colombo and $151 in Tabriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Colombo vs $15.00 in Tabriz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $111 per month, with Tabriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇮🇷 Tabriz

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

06:09 6:09 AM

2 h behind Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

1,558,693

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Tabriz 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
Tabriz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tabriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tabriz wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tabriz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $578 in Colombo versus $151 in Tabriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tabriz – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $409 in Tabriz versus $805 in Colombo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tabriz but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Tabriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tabriz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $409 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tabriz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colombo and Tabriz 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 Tabriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.