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: $776 in Dushanbe versus $727 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,178 in Dushanbe versus $1,162 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,579 in Dushanbe versus $1,596 in Colombo.

Living in Dushanbe is roughly 7% more expensive than in 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 56.1

$3.93 LKR 1,316

54.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.72 TJS 136

$24.88 LKR 8,337

-40.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 TJS 79.4

$8.46 LKR 2,834

1.42%

Cappuccino

$2.08 TJS 19.22

$2.74 LKR 919

-24.09%

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

$0.66 TJS 6.11

$0.75 LKR 250

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 TJS 3.00

$0.40 LKR 135

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 TJS 11.15

$2.32 LKR 776

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 TJS 18.14

$3.27 LKR 1,097

-40.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 TJS 8.61

$1.78 LKR 595

-47.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TJS 5.68

$0.56 LKR 188

8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 TJS 18.12

$0.87 LKR 293

125.29%

Eggs

$1.85 TJS 17.08

$2.18 LKR 731

-15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 TJS 84.9

$13.99 LKR 4,687

-34.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 TJS 41.93

$4.71 LKR 1,579

-3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.13 TJS 84.5

$8.21 LKR 2,751

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 TJS 15.94

$7.43 LKR 2,491

-76.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 TJS 24.36

$1.06 LKR 355

149.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 TJS 23.74

$5.73 LKR 1,920

-55.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 TJS 11.57

$1.26 LKR 423

-0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 TJS 6.82

$1.11 LKR 372

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 TJS 4.93

$1.42 LKR 475

-62.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 TJS 7.42

$1.16 LKR 388

-31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 TJS 5.80

$0.56 LKR 187

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 TJS 22.52

$10.07 LKR 3,376

-75.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 TJS 103

$12.68 LKR 4,248

-11.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TJS 13.17

$2.08 LKR 695

-31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 TJS 20.13

$2.97 LKR 995

-26.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TJS 2.22

$0.16 LKR 55.1

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.83 TJS 90.9

$5.07 LKR 1,700

93.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 TJS 9.50

$0.42 LKR 140

145.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 TJS 2.49

$0.32 LKR 109

-15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 TJS 53.5

$0.58 LKR 194

896.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 TJS 8.61

$1.21 LKR 404

-23.14%

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

$18.5K TJS 170.6K

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

-30.02%

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

$25.6K TJS 236.9K

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

-27.57%

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

$51.4 TJS 475

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

-13.97%

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

$13.76 TJS 127

$4.30 LKR 1,439

220.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.34 TJS 225

$15.04 LKR 5,038

61.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.80 TJS 368

$14.69 LKR 4,921

170.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.01 TJS 83.3

$7.27 LKR 2,437

23.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 TJS 46.54

$3.45 LKR 1,155

45.80%

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

$103 TJS 954

$36.16 LKR 12.1K

185.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K TJS 135.6K

$448 LKR 150.0K

3177.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.28 TJS 280

$27.11 LKR 9,084

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.91 TJS 360

$19.30 LKR 6,468

101.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 TJS 694

$70.6 LKR 23.7K

6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 TJS 513

$39.20 LKR 13.1K

41.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 TJS 4,084

$368 LKR 123.3K

20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 TJS 2,116

$179 LKR 60.1K

27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 TJS 6,791

$940 LKR 315.0K

-21.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 TJS 3,972

$369 LKR 123.7K

16.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,296 TJS 12.0K

$3,615 LKR 1.2M

-64.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 TJS 6,478

$1,180 LKR 395.3K

-40.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$438 TJS 4,046

$244 LKR 81.8K

79.28%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Dushanbe and $368 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: $15.00 in Dushanbe vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $258 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 7% 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: $442 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 31% 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 $727 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 7% less than in Dushanbe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.