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: $938 in Dushanbe versus $789 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Dushanbe versus $1,200 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,843 in Dushanbe versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Dushanbe is roughly 19% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dushanbe 32% lower, Colombo 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 TJS 45.65

$4.38 LKR 1,440

12.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.33 TJS 188

$25.76 LKR 8,464

-21.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 TJS 50.5

$7.60 LKR 2,499

-28.29%

Cappuccino

$1.74 TJS 16.07

$2.45 LKR 804

-28.98%

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

$0.57 TJS 5.31

$0.74 LKR 243

-22.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 TJS 3.37

$0.25 LKR 81.4

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 TJS 10.88

$2.24 LKR 737

-47.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 TJS 21.57

$2.98 LKR 979

-21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 TJS 9.87

$1.58 LKR 520

-32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TJS 5.61

$0.52 LKR 172

17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 TJS 22.66

$0.81 LKR 267

202.47%

Eggs

$1.76 TJS 16.25

$1.64 LKR 539

7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 TJS 100

$13.18 LKR 4,332

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 TJS 39.69

$5.06 LKR 1,663

-15.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 TJS 105

$7.14 LKR 2,347

58.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 TJS 17.78

$6.69 LKR 2,198

-71.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 TJS 25.88

$0.88 LKR 288

218.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 TJS 24.88

$4.35 LKR 1,429

-38.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 TJS 11.72

$1.29 LKR 425

-1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 TJS 5.50

$1.00 LKR 330

-41.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 TJS 3.71

$0.80 LKR 263

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 TJS 8.13

$0.94 LKR 310

-6.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 TJS 6.09

$0.49 LKR 162

34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 TJS 34.36

$10.36 LKR 3,403

-64.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 TJS 104

$13.67 LKR 4,492

-18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 TJS 13.42

$1.96 LKR 646

-26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 TJS 18.99

$2.89 LKR 948

-29.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TJS 2.40

$0.17 LKR 57.2

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.94 TJS 305

$7.29 LKR 2,397

351.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TJS 9.72

$0.39 LKR 127

169.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TJS 2.86

$0.39 LKR 127

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 TJS 58.9

$0.95 LKR 312

569.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TJS 10.87

$1.34 LKR 439

-12.69%

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

$16.6K TJS 153.2K

$30.0K LKR 9.9M

-44.84%

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

$24.3K TJS 224.5K

$42.5K LKR 14.0M

-42.91%

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

$67.6 TJS 625

$55.4 LKR 18.2K

22.15%

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

$9.91 TJS 91.7

$4.06 LKR 1,333

144.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.29 TJS 160

$20.56 LKR 6,755

-15.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.95 TJS 416

$14.69 LKR 4,827

205.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.47 TJS 134

$5.92 LKR 1,947

144.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 TJS 50.4

$4.43 LKR 1,456

23.02%

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

$84.6 TJS 783

$38.87 LKR 12.8K

117.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 TJS 51.7K

$1,212 LKR 398.2K

361.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.50 TJS 227

$20.17 LKR 6,626

21.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 TJS 481

$16.47 LKR 5,411

215.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 TJS 722

$80.9 LKR 26.6K

-3.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.9 TJS 517

$43.13 LKR 14.2K

29.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 TJS 5,819

$554 LKR 182.2K

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 TJS 3,316

$251 LKR 82.3K

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 TJS 8,026

$1,581 LKR 519.5K

-45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 TJS 5,197

$410 LKR 134.7K

37.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,303 TJS 12.1K

$3,725 LKR 1.2M

-65.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$697 TJS 6,448

$1,211 LKR 397.9K

-42.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$449 TJS 4,158

$252 LKR 82.7K

78.65%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Colombo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $629 in Dushanbe and $554 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dushanbe pays 79% 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: $20.00 in Dushanbe vs $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $237 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 19% 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 79% 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: $629 in Dushanbe versus $554 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dushanbe pay roughly 11% 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 $26.00 versus $20.00 in Dushanbe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $789 in Colombo versus $938 in Dushanbe, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Dushanbe. 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 $789 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 19% less than in Dushanbe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.