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: $860 in Manaus versus $771 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,358 in Manaus versus $1,191 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,856 in Manaus versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Manaus is roughly 12% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manaus 37% lower, Colombo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 R$29.83

$4.51 LKR 1,480

29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 R$138

$25.96 LKR 8,517

4.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 R$34.20

$7.80 LKR 2,557

-13.97%

Cappuccino

$2.20 R$11.24

$2.47 LKR 810

-10.93%

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

$1.07 R$5.47

$0.70 LKR 228

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R$3.98

$0.25 LKR 81.8

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 R$14.15

$2.24 LKR 734

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 R$27.25

$3.08 LKR 1,010

73.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 R$7.27

$1.63 LKR 535

-12.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.03

$0.57 LKR 187

175.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.04

$0.80 LKR 264

47.50%

Eggs

$2.68 R$13.67

$1.65 LKR 541

62.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 R$49.59

$13.08 LKR 4,292

-25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 R$19.23

$4.96 LKR 1,627

-23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R$36.76

$7.27 LKR 2,384

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$11.74

$6.76 LKR 2,218

-65.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.03

$0.83 LKR 272

90.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.96

$4.17 LKR 1,369

-67.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.97

$1.29 LKR 423

51.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.22

$1.05 LKR 343

16.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.78

$0.81 LKR 266

39.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.05

$0.88 LKR 290

-10.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.29

$0.49 LKR 159

30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 R$17.90

$10.25 LKR 3,361

-65.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 R$45.22

$13.97 LKR 4,583

-36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.37

$1.89 LKR 621

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R$8.22

$2.78 LKR 910

-42.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.61

$0.17 LKR 56.5

429.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.60 R$192

$7.39 LKR 2,425

408.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.75

$0.42 LKR 137

121.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.23

$0.36 LKR 117

130.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 R$48.47

$0.88 LKR 288

979.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.73

$1.33 LKR 435

-0.75%

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

$22.8K R$116.0K

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

-25.07%

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

$31.8K R$161.9K

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

-23.91%

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

$114 R$582

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

107.89%

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

$15.39 R$78.5

$4.13 LKR 1,354

272.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.62 R$126

$20.85 LKR 6,838

18.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$124

$14.29 LKR 4,687

70.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.55 R$125

$5.67 LKR 1,858

332.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 R$31.54

$4.33 LKR 1,419

42.96%

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

$221 R$1,129

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

493.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,023 R$25.6K

$1,223 LKR 401.1K

310.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R$256

$19.78 LKR 6,487

153.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.61 R$161

$16.93 LKR 5,555

86.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.4 R$293

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

-27.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 R$351

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

62.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 R$3,133

$547 LKR 179.5K

12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 R$1,064

$248 LKR 81.2K

-15.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 R$4,678

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

-41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 R$2,464

$403 LKR 132.3K

19.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,695 R$8,642

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

-55.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,298 R$6,620

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 R$2,594

$250 LKR 82.0K

103.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

12.69

-18.60%

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

Last update for Manaus: August 30, 2026

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Manaus and $547 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: $27.00 in Manaus vs $26.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $237, with Manaus 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

Manaus vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 12% 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: $614 in Manaus versus $547 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Manaus pay roughly 21% 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 $26.00 versus $27.00 in Manaus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Colombo versus $860 in Manaus, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Manaus. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $771 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 12% less than in Manaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.