Cost of Living Comparison Between Haikou and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Haikou and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Haikou versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,196 in Haikou versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,605 in Haikou versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Haikou is roughly 10% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Haikou 41% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 ¥17.26

$4.07 LKR 1,366

-37.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.04 ¥163

$25.28 LKR 8,492

-4.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.95

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-38.26%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥19.94

$2.71 LKR 909

8.86%

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

$0.45 ¥3.06

$0.69 LKR 232

-34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.40 LKR 136

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 ¥9.49

$2.27 LKR 764

-38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ¥24.55

$3.27 LKR 1,099

11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥12.00

$1.70 LKR 571

4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.61

$0.55 LKR 185

158.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$0.88 LKR 295

Eggs

$1.85 ¥12.55

$2.14 LKR 721

-13.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 ¥87.3

$13.88 LKR 4,662

-7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ¥37.00

$4.78 LKR 1,606

14.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 ¥102

$8.09 LKR 2,717

86.65%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$7.65 LKR 2,570

-88.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.05

$1.07 LKR 359

-16.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 ¥2.72

$5.84 LKR 1,963

-93.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.40

$1.25 LKR 421

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$1.14 LKR 384

-38.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.62

$1.36 LKR 458

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.20 LKR 403

-77.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.53

$0.56 LKR 190

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ¥19.65

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-70.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 ¥79.2

$12.70 LKR 4,266

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.35

$2.09 LKR 702

-62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.65

$2.90 LKR 974

-45.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.83

$0.16 LKR 54.7

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.76 ¥113

$4.93 LKR 1,657

239.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 ¥18.47

$0.38 LKR 129

618.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.35 LKR 119

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 ¥45.58

$0.62 LKR 207

985.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.87

$1.19 LKR 401

-2.52%

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

$20.3K ¥137.7K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-25.15%

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

$16.7K ¥112.9K

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-51.33%

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

$34.12 ¥231

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

-42.75%

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

$13.71 ¥92.8

$4.30 LKR 1,444

218.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.57 ¥58.0

$15.37 LKR 5,165

-44.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.90 ¥223

$14.83 LKR 4,984

121.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ¥39.21

$7.39 LKR 2,484

-21.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 ¥36.64

$3.28 LKR 1,103

64.94%

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

$340 ¥2,304

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

834.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K ¥192.2K

$442 LKR 148.5K

6325.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.66 ¥282

$27.73 LKR 9,318

50.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.90 ¥284

$19.12 LKR 6,425

119.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.49 ¥288

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

-38.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.08 ¥237

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,383

$368 LKR 123.6K

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,906

$173 LKR 58.0K

63.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 ¥3,655

$971 LKR 326.1K

-44.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 ¥3,173

$369 LKR 123.9K

27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,108 ¥21.0K

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-13.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,120 ¥14.3K

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

83.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$719 ¥4,868

$251 LKR 84.2K

187.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

16.45

-70.52%

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

Last update for Haikou: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $352 in Haikou and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 187% 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: $24.00 in Haikou vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $258 per month, with Haikou 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

Haikou vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Haikou. 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 187% higher in Haikou, 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: $352 in Haikou versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Haikou pay roughly 22% 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 $24.00 in Haikou. 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 $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Haikou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.