Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, AL and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, AL and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,472 in Decatur, AL versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,574 in Decatur, AL versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,675 in Decatur, AL versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Decatur, AL is roughly 245% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Decatur, AL is 84% above, Colombo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 $11.36

$4.13 LKR 1,381

175.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.81 $49.81

$25.16 LKR 8,420

97.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 $9.10

$8.20 LKR 2,744

10.98%

Cappuccino

$4.23 $4.23

$2.66 LKR 890

59.02%

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

$1.29 $1.29

$0.68 LKR 226

89.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.41 LKR 136

297.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.39 LKR 800

84.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.43 LKR 1,146

79.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.73 LKR 579

-69.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$0.53 LKR 176

445.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$0.83 LKR 276

454.22%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.23 LKR 746

80.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$14.02 LKR 4,690

-18.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$4.65 LKR 1,557

138.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 $15.18

$8.01 LKR 2,681

89.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$7.37 LKR 2,466

-12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.12 LKR 375

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.83 LKR 1,952

-7.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.25 LKR 417

288.80%

Potato (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.14 LKR 382

350.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.42 LKR 475

148.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.14 LKR 382

107.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.59 LKR 198

311.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 $8.14

$10.01 LKR 3,351

-18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 $14.20

$12.73 LKR 4,259

11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.11 LKR 706

-19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.97 LKR 994

-37.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.14 LKR 48.45

1335.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 LKR 1,702

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.38 LKR 129

410.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.33 LKR 110

321.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.31 $20.31

$0.60 LKR 201

3285.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.26 LKR 420

-38.89%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

21.25%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

-24.08%

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

$211 $211

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

248.83%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$4.27 LKR 1,429

1292.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$15.34 LKR 5,133

342.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 $43.40

$14.79 LKR 4,948

193.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 LKR 2,380

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 $9.31

$3.28 LKR 1,096

183.84%

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

$1,543 $1,543

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

4039.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K $27.0K

$444 LKR 148.5K

5980.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.43 $39.43

$27.15 LKR 9,084

45.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.17 $32.17

$19.13 LKR 6,402

68.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 $75.3

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

261.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$379 LKR 126.9K

323.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$178 LKR 59.6K

663.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 $1,769

$937 LKR 313.6K

88.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,198 $2,198

$361 LKR 120.7K

509.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,656 $1,656

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

-55.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

39.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 LKR 82.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

16.45

-60.30%

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

Last update for Decatur, AL: May 30, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Decatur, AL and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Decatur, AL vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $257 per month, with Colombo 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

Decatur, AL vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 245% lower than in Decatur, AL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,708 in Decatur, AL and $1,076 in Colombo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Decatur, AL versus $379 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,543 in Decatur, AL versus $37.28 in Colombo. 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 $25.00 versus $50.0 in Decatur, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $717 in Colombo versus $2,472 in Decatur, AL, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Decatur, AL. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 245% less than in Decatur, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.