Cost of Living Comparison Between Jinan and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Jinan and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $733 in Jinan versus $733 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,159 in Jinan versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,585 in Jinan versus $1,598 in Colombo.

Monthly costs are close between Jinan and Colombo; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 ¥19.29

$4.08 LKR 1,301

-30.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.20 ¥193

$24.75 LKR 7,886

13.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥33.25

$8.12 LKR 2,589

-40.27%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ¥22.59

$2.74 LKR 873

20.44%

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

$0.45 ¥3.06

$0.68 LKR 216

-33.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.57

$0.40 LKR 128

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ¥5.69

$2.28 LKR 725

-63.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥13.18

$3.28 LKR 1,046

-41.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.75

$1.75 LKR 559

6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.96

$0.56 LKR 180

185.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.54

$0.82 LKR 260

34.15%

Eggs

$1.22 ¥8.38

$2.12 LKR 677

-42.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 ¥60.6

$14.20 LKR 4,525

-37.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 ¥19.65

$4.69 LKR 1,495

-38.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ¥61.5

$7.89 LKR 2,513

13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.71

$7.39 LKR 2,353

-82.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.57

$1.06 LKR 338

-9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.95

$5.68 LKR 1,810

-76.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.82

$1.22 LKR 389

-42.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ¥3.91

$1.16 LKR 369

-50.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ¥3.34

$1.40 LKR 447

-65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 ¥2.78

$1.18 LKR 377

-65.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥3.07

$0.57 LKR 182

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.83

$9.90 LKR 3,156

-69.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 ¥68.0

$12.46 LKR 3,970

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.85

$2.04 LKR 648

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.21

$2.83 LKR 903

-42.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.76

$0.18 LKR 58.6

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.48 ¥58.1

$5.09 LKR 1,621

66.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ¥10.82

$0.39 LKR 123

305.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.20

$0.35 LKR 112

-8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 ¥29.17

$0.62 LKR 197

587.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.99

$1.19 LKR 380

-1.68%

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

$17.0K ¥116.1K

$27.3K LKR 8.7M

-37.80%

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

$18.1K ¥124.2K

$34.2K LKR 10.9M

-46.95%

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

$85.0 ¥582

$60.9 LKR 19.4K

39.52%

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

$10.04 ¥68.8

$4.38 LKR 1,397

129.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.13 ¥48.82

$15.01 LKR 4,783

-52.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.1 ¥658

$14.68 LKR 4,678

554.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.04 ¥48.21

$7.46 LKR 2,376

-5.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ¥41.00

$3.44 LKR 1,095

74.13%

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

$207 ¥1,421

$37.27 LKR 11.9K

456.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥121.0K

$433 LKR 137.9K

3980.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.83 ¥266

$28.07 LKR 8,943

38.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 ¥201

$19.31 LKR 6,152

52.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥529

$70.5 LKR 22.5K

9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 ¥479

$38.98 LKR 12.4K

79.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ¥1,944

$368 LKR 117.1K

-22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 ¥1,045

$179 LKR 57.0K

-14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ¥4,726

$970 LKR 309.0K

-28.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ¥2,141

$364 LKR 115.9K

-14.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 ¥16.2K

$3,591 LKR 1.1M

-34.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,297 ¥8,882

$1,225 LKR 390.3K

5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$967 ¥6,627

$241 LKR 76.6K

302.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

16.45

-76.05%

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

Last update for Jinan: April 26, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Jinan and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jinan pays 302% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28.00 in Jinan vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $255, with Jinan 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

Jinan vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinan pays 302% 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: $284 in Jinan versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Jinan versus $37.27 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 $28.00 in Jinan. 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 $733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Colombo wins on affordability, Jinan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.