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: $773 in Dushanbe versus $725 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,200 in Dushanbe versus $1,160 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,627 in Dushanbe versus $1,595 in Colombo.

Living in Dushanbe is roughly 7% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dushanbe 42% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 TJS 55.1

$3.98 LKR 1,326

48.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.71 TJS 137

$25.39 LKR 8,469

-42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 TJS 82.2

$8.59 LKR 2,865

2.79%

Cappuccino

$1.99 TJS 18.53

$2.61 LKR 872

-23.75%

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

$0.64 TJS 5.96

$0.73 LKR 242

-12.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 TJS 3.02

$0.38 LKR 126

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 TJS 11.18

$2.30 LKR 769

-47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 TJS 18.28

$3.26 LKR 1,087

-39.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 TJS 8.52

$1.69 LKR 564

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 TJS 5.85

$0.56 LKR 186

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 TJS 17.85

$0.82 LKR 274

134.15%

Eggs

$1.77 TJS 16.53

$2.21 LKR 738

-19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 TJS 82.1

$14.16 LKR 4,724

-37.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 TJS 41.45

$4.74 LKR 1,581

-6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 TJS 87.2

$8.28 LKR 2,761

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 TJS 15.33

$7.44 LKR 2,480

-77.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 TJS 24.23

$1.11 LKR 370

134.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 TJS 23.53

$5.89 LKR 1,966

-57.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 TJS 11.59

$1.20 LKR 400

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 TJS 7.07

$1.16 LKR 387

-34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 TJS 5.05

$1.36 LKR 452

-60.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 TJS 7.48

$1.19 LKR 396

-32.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 TJS 6.29

$0.60 LKR 201

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 TJS 22.66

$10.17 LKR 3,392

-76.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 TJS 93.3

$12.86 LKR 4,290

-22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 TJS 13.34

$2.11 LKR 703

-32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 TJS 20.96

$2.99 LKR 997

-24.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TJS 2.42

$0.19 LKR 64.5

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.07 TJS 93.8

$4.96 LKR 1,656

103.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 TJS 9.42

$0.39 LKR 129

158.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 TJS 2.49

$0.35 LKR 117

-22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 TJS 56.6

$0.56 LKR 188

983.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 TJS 9.03

$1.26 LKR 421

-23.02%

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

$18.4K TJS 171.2K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-31.55%

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

$26.1K TJS 242.7K

$34.7K LKR 11.6M

-24.88%

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

$50.8 TJS 473

$60.9 LKR 20.3K

-16.71%

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

$13.69 TJS 128

$4.29 LKR 1,433

219.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.56 TJS 229

$14.85 LKR 4,954

65.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 TJS 367

$14.58 LKR 4,862

170.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.07 TJS 84.6

$7.44 LKR 2,482

21.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 TJS 47.26

$3.28 LKR 1,093

54.57%

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

$103 TJS 958

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

182.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K TJS 136.5K

$440 LKR 146.8K

3229.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.43 TJS 284

$28.09 LKR 9,369

8.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 TJS 363

$19.63 LKR 6,549

98.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 TJS 692

$70.0 LKR 23.3K

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 TJS 513

$38.80 LKR 12.9K

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 TJS 4,111

$366 LKR 122.1K

20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 TJS 2,138

$174 LKR 58.1K

31.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 TJS 7,013

$937 LKR 312.5K

-19.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 TJS 3,971

$366 LKR 122.1K

16.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,281 TJS 11.9K

$3,583 LKR 1.2M

-64.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 TJS 6,529

$1,157 LKR 385.9K

-39.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 TJS 4,350

$240 LKR 80.0K

94.59%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Colombo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Dushanbe and $366 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dushanbe pays 95% 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 $193 vs $259 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.

Dushanbe pays 95% 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: $441 in Dushanbe versus $366 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dushanbe pay roughly 34% 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 $725 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.