Cost of Living Comparison Between Dushanbe and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Dushanbe and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $775 in Dushanbe versus $733 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Dushanbe versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Dushanbe versus $1,598 in Colombo.

Living in Dushanbe is roughly 6% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dushanbe 42% lower, Colombo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 TJS 57.2

$4.08 LKR 1,302

48.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.11 TJS 142

$24.75 LKR 7,894

-38.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 TJS 83.3

$8.12 LKR 2,591

8.99%

Cappuccino

$2.01 TJS 18.90

$2.74 LKR 874

-26.64%

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

$0.68 TJS 6.42

$0.68 LKR 216

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TJS 2.81

$0.40 LKR 129

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 TJS 11.31

$2.28 LKR 726

-47.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 TJS 18.48

$3.28 LKR 1,047

-40.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 TJS 9.34

$1.75 LKR 559

-43.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TJS 5.79

$0.56 LKR 180

8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 TJS 18.02

$0.82 LKR 261

132.93%

Eggs

$1.79 TJS 16.89

$2.12 LKR 677

-15.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 TJS 84.5

$14.20 LKR 4,529

-36.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 TJS 43.59

$4.69 LKR 1,496

-1.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 TJS 89.8

$7.89 LKR 2,515

20.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 TJS 16.32

$7.39 LKR 2,355

-76.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 TJS 23.61

$1.06 LKR 339

136.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 TJS 24.07

$5.68 LKR 1,812

-54.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 TJS 12.14

$1.22 LKR 389

5.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 TJS 7.56

$1.16 LKR 369

-31.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 TJS 5.39

$1.40 LKR 447

-59.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 TJS 7.54

$1.18 LKR 377

-32.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 TJS 6.23

$0.57 LKR 182

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 TJS 22.68

$9.90 LKR 3,159

-75.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 TJS 96.8

$12.46 LKR 3,974

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 TJS 14.05

$2.04 LKR 649

-26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 TJS 20.51

$2.83 LKR 904

-22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TJS 2.25

$0.18 LKR 58.7

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.21 TJS 96.1

$5.09 LKR 1,622

100.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 TJS 9.79

$0.39 LKR 123

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 TJS 2.74

$0.35 LKR 112

-17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 TJS 56.3

$0.62 LKR 197

864.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 TJS 9.31

$1.19 LKR 381

-16.81%

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

$18.5K TJS 173.9K

$27.3K LKR 8.7M

-32.27%

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

$26.2K TJS 246.7K

$34.2K LKR 10.9M

-23.38%

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

$51.8 TJS 488

$60.9 LKR 19.4K

-15.04%

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

$13.77 TJS 130

$4.38 LKR 1,398

214.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.10 TJS 227

$15.01 LKR 4,788

60.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 TJS 370

$14.68 LKR 4,682

167.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.05 TJS 85.3

$7.46 LKR 2,379

21.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 TJS 45.53

$3.44 LKR 1,096

40.41%

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

$103 TJS 974

$37.27 LKR 11.9K

177.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K TJS 137.0K

$433 LKR 138.0K

3260.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.33 TJS 286

$28.07 LKR 8,951

8.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 TJS 361

$19.31 LKR 6,158

98.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 TJS 708

$70.5 LKR 22.5K

6.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 TJS 511

$38.98 LKR 12.4K

39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 TJS 4,082

$368 LKR 117.2K

17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 TJS 2,194

$179 LKR 57.0K

30.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 TJS 7,124

$970 LKR 309.3K

-22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 TJS 3,929

$364 LKR 116.0K

14.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,274 TJS 12.0K

$3,591 LKR 1.1M

-64.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$708 TJS 6,669

$1,225 LKR 390.7K

-42.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 TJS 4,389

$241 LKR 76.7K

93.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.75

16.45

56.53%

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

Last update for Dushanbe: April 27, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Dushanbe and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dushanbe pays 94% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Dushanbe vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $255 per month, with Dushanbe 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

Dushanbe vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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.

Dushanbe pays 94% more on average, 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: $433 in Dushanbe versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dushanbe pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $15.00 in Dushanbe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Colombo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dushanbe and Colombo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Dushanbe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.