Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dushanbe and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $804 a month against $923 in Dushanbe, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Dushanbe
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Dushanbe Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Dushanbe

🇹🇯 Tajikistan

$923

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dushanbe and in Colombo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Dushanbe versus $804 in Colombo.

Dushanbe $923
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,371 in Dushanbe versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Dushanbe $1,371
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Dushanbe versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Dushanbe $1,818
Colombo $1,675

Living in Dushanbe is roughly 15% more expensive than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dushanbe 32% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 TJS 44.68

$3.74 LKR 1,243

29.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.38 TJS 188

$24.72 LKR 8,217

-17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 TJS 50.7

$7.60 LKR 2,528

-27.63%

Cappuccino

$1.76 TJS 16.18

$2.45 LKR 814

-28.16%

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

$0.61 TJS 5.66

$0.68 LKR 226

-10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 TJS 3.13

$0.27 LKR 89.8

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 TJS 11.17

$2.22 LKR 739

-45.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 TJS 22.37

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 TJS 10.25

$1.57 LKR 520

-29.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 TJS 5.46

$0.54 LKR 178

9.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 TJS 22.07

$0.80 LKR 266

198.75%

Eggs

$1.79 TJS 16.51

$1.71 LKR 568

4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 TJS 100

$13.92 LKR 4,626

-21.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 TJS 40.10

$4.78 LKR 1,590

-9.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 TJS 104

$7.46 LKR 2,480

51.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 TJS 17.46

$6.40 LKR 2,126

-70.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 TJS 25.89

$0.85 LKR 283

230.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 TJS 24.82

$4.26 LKR 1,416

-36.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 TJS 11.64

$1.33 LKR 443

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 TJS 5.74

$1.00 LKR 334

-38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 TJS 3.98

$0.81 LKR 270

-46.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 TJS 11.72

$0.93 LKR 308

36.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 TJS 5.93

$0.45 LKR 151

42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 TJS 35.90

$10.33 LKR 3,435

-62.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 TJS 106

$12.87 LKR 4,279

-10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 TJS 13.40

$1.93 LKR 642

-24.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 TJS 18.99

$3.00 LKR 999

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 TJS 2.58

$0.18 LKR 59.3

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.46 TJS 152

$5.96 LKR 1,982

176.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 TJS 10.10

$0.40 LKR 134

175.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 TJS 3.16

$0.35 LKR 116

-2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 TJS 59.6

$0.94 LKR 312

588.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TJS 10.56

$1.32 LKR 438

-12.88%

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

$16.0K TJS 147.1K

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

-63.25%

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

$24.3K TJS 223.7K

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

-38.85%

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

$68.4 TJS 631

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

16.24%

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

$10.27 TJS 94.7

$4.20 LKR 1,397

144.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.23 TJS 159

$20.61 LKR 6,853

-16.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.97 TJS 415

$19.88 LKR 6,611

126.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 TJS 133

$5.81 LKR 1,932

148.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 TJS 48.76

$4.42 LKR 1,469

19.68%

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

$84.7 TJS 781

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

122.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 TJS 53.0K

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

374.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.46 TJS 225

$17.77 LKR 5,907

37.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 TJS 488

$16.62 LKR 5,525

218.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 TJS 709

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

-1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 TJS 522

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

34.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 TJS 5,835

$586 LKR 194.7K

8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 TJS 3,222

$275 LKR 91.4K

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 TJS 8,193

$1,677 LKR 557.5K

-47.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 TJS 5,154

$490 LKR 163.0K

14.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,278 TJS 11.8K

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

-64.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$708 TJS 6,522

$1,158 LKR 385.0K

-38.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 TJS 4,002

$259 LKR 86.0K

67.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.17

12.69

82.58%

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

Last update for Dushanbe: October 25, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dushanbe

$350 37.9%

Colombo

$275 34.2% 21.3% $74

Groceries & Markets

Dushanbe

$215 23.3%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 9.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dushanbe

$96 10.4%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 12.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Dushanbe

$95 10.3%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 26.8% $25

Eating Out

Dushanbe

$91 9.9%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 13.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Dushanbe

$56 6%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 48.3% $27

Getting Around

Dushanbe

$20 2.2%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 56.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Dushanbe and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dushanbe pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Dushanbe vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $235 per month, with Dushanbe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇯 Dushanbe

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

30 min ahead of Dushanbe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

679,400 Capital

753,000

💱 Currency

Tajikistani Somoni TJS ЅМ

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 TJS = 10.85 USD

100 TJS = 9.74 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to TJS – Tajikistani Somoni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇯 Tajikistani Somoni (ЅМ)

Tajikistani Somoni exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 TJS (1 TJS = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 TJS (100 TJS = 9.74 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to TJS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dushanbe Colombo 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dushanbe
Colombo

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

Dushanbe vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Dushanbe. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Dushanbe, 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: $633 in Dushanbe versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dushanbe pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Dushanbe – a meal for two runs $20 versus $25 in Colombo. 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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