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: $736 in Irbid versus $727 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,172 in Irbid versus $1,162 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,608 in Irbid versus $1,596 in Colombo.

Living in Irbid is roughly 1% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.26 JOD 3.02

$3.93 LKR 1,318

8.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.51 JOD 29.39

$24.88 LKR 8,349

66.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 JOD 5.11

$8.46 LKR 2,839

-14.66%

Cappuccino

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$2.74 LKR 920

-50.00%

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

$0.48 JOD 0.34

$0.75 LKR 250

-36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 JOD 0.24

$0.40 LKR 136

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 JOD 3.43

$2.32 LKR 777

108.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 JOD 5.01

$3.27 LKR 1,098

116.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 JOD 0.83

$1.78 LKR 596

-34.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 JOD 0.32

$0.56 LKR 188

-19.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JOD 1.16

$0.87 LKR 293

87.36%

Eggs

$1.79 JOD 1.27

$2.18 LKR 733

-17.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 JOD 4.63

$13.99 LKR 4,694

-53.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 JOD 4.06

$4.71 LKR 1,582

21.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.52 JOD 8.16

$8.21 LKR 2,755

40.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$7.43 LKR 2,495

-81.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 JOD 1.12

$1.06 LKR 356

49.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 JOD 0.74

$5.73 LKR 1,923

-81.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 JOD 0.44

$1.26 LKR 423

-50.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 JOD 0.67

$1.11 LKR 373

-15.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 JOD 0.51

$1.42 LKR 476

-49.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 JOD 0.47

$1.16 LKR 388

-43.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$0.56 LKR 187

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 JOD 2.56

$10.07 LKR 3,381

-64.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 JOD 5.14

$12.68 LKR 4,254

-42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.97 JOD 2.81

$2.08 LKR 696

90.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 JOD 3.79

$2.97 LKR 997

80.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$0.16 LKR 55.2

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.07 LKR 1,702

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 JOD 0.36

$0.42 LKR 140

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 JOD 0.99

$0.32 LKR 109

337.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 JOD 5.13

$0.58 LKR 194

1150.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JOD 1.04

$1.21 LKR 404

21.49%

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

$24.8K JOD 17.6K

$26.4K LKR 8.9M

-6.00%

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

$31.4K JOD 22.2K

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

-11.35%

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

$97.1 JOD 68.7

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

62.56%

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

$15.42 JOD 10.92

$4.30 LKR 1,441

258.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.56 JOD 22.35

$15.04 LKR 5,045

109.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.93 JOD 24.73

$14.69 LKR 4,929

137.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.46 JOD 13.07

$7.27 LKR 2,441

153.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 JOD 6.85

$3.45 LKR 1,157

180.58%

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

$93.4 JOD 66.1

$36.16 LKR 12.1K

158.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,969 JOD 2,810

$448 LKR 150.2K

786.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.78 JOD 31.71

$27.11 LKR 9,097

65.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.78 JOD 14.71

$19.30 LKR 6,478

7.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 JOD 49.04

$70.6 LKR 23.7K

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 JOD 35.51

$39.20 LKR 13.2K

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 JOD 150

$368 LKR 123.5K

-42.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 JOD 102

$179 LKR 60.1K

-19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 JOD 257

$940 LKR 315.4K

-61.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 JOD 202

$369 LKR 123.8K

-22.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$513 JOD 363

$3,615 LKR 1.2M

-85.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 JOD 350

$1,180 LKR 395.9K

-58.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 JOD 386

$244 LKR 81.9K

123.33%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Irbid and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irbid pays 123% 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: $42.00 in Irbid vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 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

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Irbid. 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 123% higher in Irbid, 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 $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.4 in Irbid versus $36.16 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Irbid. 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, 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 Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Irbid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.