Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $804 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo and in Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Colombo $804
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Colombo $1,240
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Colombo $1,675
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Colombo costs roughly 37% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$11.63 ₾30.07

-67.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,219

$37.83 ₾97.8

-34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,529

$9.66 ₾24.98

-21.33%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$3.57 ₾9.24

-31.37%

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

$0.68 LKR 227

$1.08 ₾2.78

-37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.56 ₾1.45

-51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$2.62 ₾6.78

-15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$3.04 ₾7.85

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 521

$2.17 ₾5.60

-27.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.80 ₾2.06

-32.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$1.74 ₾4.51

-54.02%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$2.83 ₾7.31

-39.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,628

$9.31 ₾24.07

49.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,591

$6.52 ₾16.85

-26.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,481

$12.95 ₾33.50

-42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,127

$1.68 ₾4.33

280.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 284

$1.85 ₾4.79

-54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$1.97 ₾5.10

116.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$2.42 ₾6.25

-45.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$0.82 ₾2.11

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.74 ₾1.91

9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$1.34 ₾3.47

-30.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.77 ₾2.00

-41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,436

$3.57 ₾9.24

189.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,280

$7.67 ₾19.83

67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.70 ₾4.39

13.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.40 ₾6.21

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.4

$0.40 ₾1.05

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,983

$15.23 ₾39.38

-60.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$1.14 ₾2.95

-64.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.78 ₾2.02

-55.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$11.83 ₾30.58

-92.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.45 ₾3.75

-8.97%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$24.6K ₾63.6K

76.63%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

77.67%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$88.8 ₾230

-33.73%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$13.12 ₾33.93

-67.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,855

$19.67 ₾50.9

4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,613

$64.1 ₾166

-68.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,933

$19.04 ₾49.24

-69.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

$7.12 ₾18.42

-37.92%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$375 ₾971

-89.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.6K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

-88.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,909

$104 ₾268

-82.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,527

$39.26 ₾102

-57.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$117 ₾303

-33.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$122 ₾315

-65.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.8K

$695 ₾1,798

-15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.5K

$451 ₾1,167

-39.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.7K

$1,355 ₾3,504

23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 163.0K

$906 ₾2,343

-45.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

$2,295 ₾5,934

58.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.1K

$1,345 ₾3,478

-13.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 86.0K

$664 ₾1,718

-61.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

12.62

0.55%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 64% $176

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 0.5% $1.1

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 84.8% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 45.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 147% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 173% $50

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 148% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Colombo and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $234, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

1 h 30 min behind Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Colombo Tbilisi 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Colombo. 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: $586 in Colombo versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $38 in Colombo versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Colombo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value at $804 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Colombo wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.