Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Manaus versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,332 in Manaus versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,812 in Manaus versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Manaus is roughly 19% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manaus 36% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 R$28.27

$4.07 LKR 1,366

35.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.83 R$127

$25.28 LKR 8,492

-1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 R$32.76

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-25.47%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R$10.85

$2.71 LKR 909

-21.77%

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

$1.02 R$5.23

$0.69 LKR 232

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.61

$0.40 LKR 136

77.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R$12.81

$2.27 LKR 764

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 R$24.45

$3.27 LKR 1,099

46.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.43

$1.70 LKR 571

-25.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 R$7.17

$0.55 LKR 185

154.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.71

$0.88 LKR 295

27.27%

Eggs

$2.06 R$10.52

$2.14 LKR 721

-3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 R$48.41

$13.88 LKR 4,662

-31.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 R$18.16

$4.78 LKR 1,606

-25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 R$33.79

$8.09 LKR 2,717

-18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.89

$7.65 LKR 2,570

-72.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.05

$1.07 LKR 359

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.58

$5.84 LKR 1,963

-77.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 R$9.49

$1.25 LKR 421

48.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.03

$1.14 LKR 384

3.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.60

$1.36 LKR 458

-19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$1.20 LKR 403

-46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.34

$0.56 LKR 190

16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R$18.58

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-63.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 R$43.41

$12.70 LKR 4,266

-33.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R$7.03

$2.09 LKR 702

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.84

$2.90 LKR 974

-26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 R$3.96

$0.16 LKR 54.7

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.32 R$181

$4.93 LKR 1,657

616.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 R$4.37

$0.38 LKR 129

126.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.34

$0.35 LKR 119

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 R$45.45

$0.62 LKR 207

1333.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.07

$1.19 LKR 401

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

$20.1K R$102.6K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-26.13%

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

$22.2K R$113.5K

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-35.17%

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

$107 R$545

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

78.81%

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

$13.98 R$71.5

$4.30 LKR 1,444

225.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.47 R$120

$15.37 LKR 5,165

52.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.13 R$118

$14.83 LKR 4,984

55.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 R$115

$7.39 LKR 2,484

203.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.87 R$30.02

$3.28 LKR 1,103

78.96%

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

$202 R$1,034

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

454.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,596 R$23.5K

$442 LKR 148.5K

940.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.37 R$232

$27.73 LKR 9,318

63.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.35 R$150

$19.12 LKR 6,425

53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.4 R$283

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

-19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 R$323

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

60.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R$2,026

$368 LKR 123.6K

7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 R$1,217

$173 LKR 58.0K

38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 R$3,458

$971 LKR 326.1K

-30.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 R$2,563

$369 LKR 123.9K

35.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,707 R$8,721

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-52.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 R$6,507

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

10.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$510 R$2,606

$251 LKR 84.2K

103.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.83

16.45

-40.24%

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

Last update for Manaus: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Manaus and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manaus pays 103% 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: $25.00 in Manaus vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $258 per month, with Manaus 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

Manaus vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Manaus. 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 103% higher in Manaus, 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: $396 in Manaus versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Manaus pay roughly 40% 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 $25.00 in Manaus. 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 19% less than in Manaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.