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: $2,457 in Decatur, AL versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,570 in Decatur, AL versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,683 in Decatur, AL versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Decatur, AL is roughly 242% more expensive than in 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

$11.69 $11.69

$4.07 LKR 1,366

187.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 $51.0

$25.28 LKR 8,494

101.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.27 $9.27

$8.60 LKR 2,891

7.79%

Cappuccino

$4.31 $4.31

$2.71 LKR 909

59.04%

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

$1.28 $1.28

$0.69 LKR 232

85.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.40 LKR 136

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.27 LKR 764

92.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.27 LKR 1,099

79.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.70 LKR 571

-67.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 $2.77

$0.55 LKR 185

403.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$0.88 LKR 295

419.32%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.14 LKR 721

91.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 $10.97

$13.88 LKR 4,663

-20.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 $11.01

$4.78 LKR 1,606

130.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$8.09 LKR 2,717

87.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$7.65 LKR 2,571

-19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.07 LKR 359

46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.84 LKR 1,964

-10.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$1.25 LKR 421

294.40%

Potato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.14 LKR 384

335.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.36 LKR 458

155.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.20 LKR 403

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.56 LKR 190

319.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.15 $8.15

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-18.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 $13.71

$12.70 LKR 4,267

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.09 LKR 702

-16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.90 LKR 974

-33.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.16 LKR 54.7

1156.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.93 LKR 1,657

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.38 LKR 129

415.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.35 LKR 119

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 $20.04

$0.62 LKR 207

3132.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.19 LKR 401

-31.09%

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

$33.2K $33.2K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

22.24%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-20.15%

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

$212 $212

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

255.99%

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

$57.7 $57.7

$4.30 LKR 1,444

1242.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$15.37 LKR 5,166

331.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 $43.70

$14.83 LKR 4,984

194.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.39 LKR 2,485

Cinema Ticket

$9.28 $9.28

$3.28 LKR 1,104

182.93%

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

$1,564 $1,564

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

4190.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K $27.7K

$442 LKR 148.5K

6160.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.43 $40.43

$27.73 LKR 9,320

45.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.21 $32.21

$19.12 LKR 6,426

68.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 $74.5

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

247.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$368 LKR 123.6K

331.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$173 LKR 58.0K

686.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$971 LKR 326.2K

78.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 $2,231

$369 LKR 124.0K

504.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-54.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

42.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 LKR 84.2K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,587 in Decatur, AL and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Decatur, AL vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $258 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 242% 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 $3,685 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: $1,587 in Decatur, AL versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,564 in Decatur, AL versus $36.45 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 $51.0 in Decatur, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $718 in Colombo versus $2,457 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 $718 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 242% less than in Decatur, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.