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: $782 in Irbid versus $805 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Irbid versus $1,206 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,650 in Irbid versus $1,607 in Colombo.

Living in Irbid costs roughly 3% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Irbid 43% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 JOD 2.95

$4.36 LKR 1,444

-4.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.23 JOD 29.90

$25.64 LKR 8,489

64.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 JOD 4.96

$7.51 LKR 2,486

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$1.47 JOD 1.04

$2.57 LKR 852

-42.80%

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

$0.50 JOD 0.35

$0.69 LKR 228

-27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 JOD 0.23

$0.27 LKR 89.7

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 JOD 4.53

$2.23 LKR 739

186.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 JOD 4.12

$3.07 LKR 1,015

89.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 JOD 0.83

$1.61 LKR 535

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 JOD 0.32

$0.57 LKR 189

-21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JOD 1.11

$0.78 LKR 259

101.28%

Eggs

$1.81 JOD 1.28

$1.65 LKR 546

9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 JOD 5.42

$13.07 LKR 4,327

-41.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 JOD 3.36

$5.05 LKR 1,672

-5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 JOD 8.88

$7.12 LKR 2,359

76.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.99

$6.96 LKR 2,306

-80.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 JOD 1.07

$0.82 LKR 272

84.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 JOD 0.74

$4.31 LKR 1,427

-75.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$1.23 LKR 408

-52.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 JOD 0.68

$1.00 LKR 331

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 JOD 0.57

$0.81 LKR 267

-1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 JOD 0.44

$0.94 LKR 310

-34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 JOD 0.47

$0.46 LKR 152

43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 JOD 2.46

$10.14 LKR 3,357

-65.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 JOD 5.00

$13.53 LKR 4,479

-47.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 JOD 1.98

$1.91 LKR 633

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 JOD 2.98

$2.85 LKR 944

47.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 JOD 0.52

$0.17 LKR 55.6

335.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.05 LKR 2,335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$0.38 LKR 127

34.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$0.37 LKR 123

289.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 JOD 4.90

$0.88 LKR 292

686.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 JOD 1.14

$1.35 LKR 447

19.26%

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

$26.5K JOD 18.7K

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

-28.82%

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

$30.9K JOD 21.9K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-24.34%

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

$97.4 JOD 69.0

$55.6 LKR 18.4K

75.38%

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

$15.74 JOD 11.15

$4.17 LKR 1,382

277.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.53 JOD 22.32

$20.52 LKR 6,793

53.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.62 JOD 24.51

$14.69 LKR 4,864

135.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.21 JOD 15.01

$5.82 LKR 1,926

264.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 JOD 7.01

$4.54 LKR 1,503

118.28%

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

$91.2 JOD 64.6

$38.14 LKR 12.6K

139.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,946 JOD 2,794

$1,226 LKR 406.0K

221.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.89 JOD 31.08

$19.94 LKR 6,601

120.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.68 JOD 20.30

$16.86 LKR 5,583

70.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 JOD 56.9

$80.6 LKR 26.7K

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.95 JOD 34.65

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 JOD 157

$601 LKR 198.9K

-63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 JOD 116

$268 LKR 88.7K

-38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 JOD 282

$1,486 LKR 491.8K

-73.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 JOD 217

$432 LKR 143.0K

-29.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$510 JOD 361

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

-86.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 JOD 354

$1,192 LKR 394.8K

-58.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 JOD 392

$250 LKR 82.9K

121.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

12.69

-46.34%

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

Last update for Irbid: September 12, 2026

Last update for Colombo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $221 in Irbid and $601 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irbid pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Irbid vs $26.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $237, 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 3% 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.

Average pay runs 121% 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: $221 in Irbid versus $601 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $91.2 in Irbid versus $38.14 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 $42.00 versus $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Irbid versus $805 in Colombo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irbid but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Irbid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irbid delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $782 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 3% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.