Cost of Living Comparison Between Irbid and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Irbid and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Irbid versus $734 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Irbid versus $1,167 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,614 in Irbid versus $1,600 in Colombo.

Living in Irbid costs roughly 1% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Irbid 46% lower, Colombo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 JOD 3.08

$3.97 LKR 1,321

9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.07 JOD 30.48

$24.86 LKR 8,280

73.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 JOD 5.01

$8.12 LKR 2,706

-12.81%

Cappuccino

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$2.62 LKR 874

-45.04%

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

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$0.73 LKR 242

-30.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 JOD 0.26

$0.40 LKR 134

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 JOD 3.44

$2.36 LKR 785

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 JOD 5.03

$3.29 LKR 1,097

115.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 JOD 0.80

$1.72 LKR 573

-34.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 JOD 0.33

$0.56 LKR 186

-17.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JOD 1.11

$0.87 LKR 290

80.46%

Eggs

$1.79 JOD 1.27

$2.20 LKR 732

-18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 JOD 4.83

$14.23 LKR 4,739

-52.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 JOD 3.90

$4.59 LKR 1,527

20.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 JOD 8.07

$7.88 LKR 2,623

44.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$7.62 LKR 2,538

-81.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 JOD 1.11

$1.07 LKR 355

46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 JOD 0.74

$5.74 LKR 1,910

-81.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 JOD 0.44

$1.26 LKR 420

-50.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 JOD 0.63

$1.14 LKR 381

-21.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$1.35 LKR 451

-49.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 JOD 0.43

$1.20 LKR 399

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.60 LKR 201

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 JOD 2.54

$10.17 LKR 3,387

-64.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 JOD 5.11

$12.62 LKR 4,204

-42.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.99 JOD 2.82

$2.08 LKR 693

91.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 JOD 3.95

$2.98 LKR 994

87.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 JOD 0.49

$0.19 LKR 61.7

263.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.99 LKR 1,662

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 JOD 0.34

$0.42 LKR 140

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 JOD 1.02

$0.36 LKR 119

302.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 JOD 5.05

$0.60 LKR 201

1090.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 JOD 0.99

$1.20 LKR 400

16.67%

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

$24.9K JOD 17.6K

$27.3K LKR 9.1M

-8.79%

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

$31.7K JOD 22.5K

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

-9.71%

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

$97.3 JOD 68.8

$60.9 LKR 20.3K

59.64%

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

$15.30 JOD 10.83

$4.40 LKR 1,467

247.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.56 JOD 21.63

$15.04 LKR 5,010

103.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.62 JOD 24.50

$14.47 LKR 4,818

139.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 JOD 13.43

$7.12 LKR 2,370

166.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 JOD 6.82

$3.39 LKR 1,128

184.37%

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

$94.1 JOD 66.6

$37.30 LKR 12.4K

152.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,009 JOD 2,837

$435 LKR 145.0K

820.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.07 JOD 31.19

$27.64 LKR 9,205

59.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.58 JOD 15.27

$19.42 LKR 6,466

11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 JOD 48.41

$68.6 LKR 22.9K

-0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 JOD 34.44

$39.17 LKR 13.0K

24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 JOD 150

$370 LKR 123.1K

-42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 JOD 100

$173 LKR 57.7K

-17.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 JOD 255

$955 LKR 318.1K

-62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 JOD 205

$363 LKR 120.9K

-20.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$525 JOD 372

$3,656 LKR 1.2M

-85.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$507 JOD 359

$1,151 LKR 383.4K

-55.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$558 JOD 395

$248 LKR 82.5K

124.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

16.45

-55.81%

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

Last update for Irbid: June 16, 2026

Last update for Colombo: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Irbid and $370 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irbid pays 125% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Irbid vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $258, with Irbid cheaper for home cooking.

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

Irbid vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irbid wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irbid the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Irbid pays 125% 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: $212 in Irbid versus $370 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $94.1 in Irbid versus $37.30 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Irbid – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Irbid 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 Irbid delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $725 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irbid hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Irbid 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 Irbid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.