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: $1,899 in Decatur, AL versus $771 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,702 in Decatur, AL versus $1,191 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,506 in Decatur, AL versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Decatur, AL is roughly 146% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Decatur, AL is 38% above, Colombo is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$4.51 LKR 1,480

226.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.31 $43.31

$25.96 LKR 8,517

66.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$7.80 LKR 2,557

53.21%

Cappuccino

$4.35 $4.35

$2.47 LKR 810

76.11%

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

$1.22 $1.22

$0.70 LKR 228

74.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.25 LKR 81.8

528.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.24 LKR 734

117.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.08 LKR 1,010

91.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 $0.50

$1.63 LKR 535

-69.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 $3.12

$0.57 LKR 187

447.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.80 LKR 264

153.75%

Eggs

$2.60 $2.60

$1.65 LKR 541

57.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$13.08 LKR 4,292

-36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$4.96 LKR 1,627

14.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 $11.99

$7.27 LKR 2,384

64.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$6.76 LKR 2,218

-55.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.83 LKR 272

108.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.17 LKR 1,369

-35.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.29 LKR 423

57.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.05 LKR 343

32.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$0.81 LKR 266

98.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.88 LKR 290

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.49 LKR 159

369.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 $8.34

$10.25 LKR 3,361

-18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 $13.24

$13.97 LKR 4,583

-5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.89 LKR 621

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.78 LKR 910

-42.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 56.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.39 LKR 2,425

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.42 LKR 137

364.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.36 LKR 117

272.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$0.88 LKR 288

2212.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.33 LKR 435

-29.32%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

21.84%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

-35.29%

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

$172 $172

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

213.92%

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

$83.8 $83.8

$4.13 LKR 1,354

1927.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$20.85 LKR 6,838

250.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.29 LKR 4,687

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 LKR 1,858

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 $15.07

$4.33 LKR 1,419

248.04%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

4393.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K $26.8K

$1,223 LKR 401.1K

2087.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.38 $43.38

$19.78 LKR 6,487

119.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.49 $32.49

$16.93 LKR 5,555

91.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 $76.9

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

-3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

236.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 $1,000

$547 LKR 179.5K

82.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 $867

$248 LKR 81.2K

250.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 $1,721

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

9.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$403 LKR 132.3K

237.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 $1,653

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

-56.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 $1,639

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

36.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LKR 82.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.06

12.69

-52.25%

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

Last update for Decatur, AL: August 31, 2026

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Decatur, AL and $547 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Decatur, AL vs $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $237 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 146% 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 $2,848 in Decatur, AL and $1,156 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: $1,000 in Decatur, AL versus $547 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,678 in Decatur, AL versus $37.34 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 $26.00 versus $43.00 in Decatur, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Colombo versus $1,899 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 $771 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 146% less than in Decatur, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.