Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Colombo

For one person, living costs are similar in Miri and in Colombo: $809 and $805 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

Jump to prices

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$809

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Miri and in Colombo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Miri and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Miri versus $805 in Colombo.

Miri $809
Colombo $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,235 in Miri versus $1,211 in Colombo.

Miri $1,235
Colombo $1,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Miri versus $1,617 in Colombo.

Miri $1,661
Colombo $1,617

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 40% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.57

$3.89 LKR 1,287

-8.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.29 MYR 50.1

$24.55 LKR 8,130

-49.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.66

$7.60 LKR 2,519

-39.74%

Cappuccino

$2.39 MYR 9.74

$2.55 LKR 845

-6.27%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$0.68 LKR 226

22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.23

$0.27 LKR 89.8

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$2.25 LKR 745

30.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MYR 15.63

$3.08 LKR 1,019

24.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MYR 5.76

$1.63 LKR 539

-13.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 MYR 7.62

$0.58 LKR 191

222.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$0.77 LKR 255

22.08%

Eggs

$3.56 MYR 14.53

$1.72 LKR 571

106.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 MYR 19.74

$4.79 LKR 1,587

1.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 MYR 62.2

$7.41 LKR 2,455

105.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 LKR 2,168

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.09

$0.80 LKR 267

147.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 LKR 1,417

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 427

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 256

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 296

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.42 LKR 140

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 17.20

$10.30 LKR 3,413

-59.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$12.90 LKR 4,274

49.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.31

$1.91 LKR 633

58.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 MYR 9.77

$2.93 LKR 969

-18.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.19 LKR 63.9

163.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.38 MYR 58.7

$7.27 LKR 2,407

97.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$0.41 LKR 135

195.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$0.37 LKR 123

56.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 MYR 25.38

$0.92 LKR 305

576.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$1.34 LKR 445

-49.25%

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

$49.8K MYR 203.1K

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

36.84%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

-17.83%

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

$49.34 MYR 201

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

-16.33%

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

$9.96 MYR 40.64

$4.37 LKR 1,446

127.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 MYR 134

$20.37 LKR 6,748

61.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 MYR 118

$13.72 LKR 4,545

111.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.10 MYR 24.88

$5.64 LKR 1,868

8.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$4.46 LKR 1,476

0.67%

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

$98.5 MYR 402

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

157.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,442 MYR 26.3K

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

431.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.57 MYR 182

$18.16 LKR 6,016

145.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.03 MYR 93.9

$16.76 LKR 5,550

37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 MYR 224

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

-30.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.84 MYR 175

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 MYR 1,377

$578 LKR 191.3K

-41.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 MYR 1,183

$277 LKR 91.8K

4.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,423

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

-60.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 MYR 2,393

$433 LKR 143.4K

35.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,212 MYR 4,946

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

-66.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 MYR 2,785

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

-41.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$683 MYR 2,787

$259 LKR 85.9K

163.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

12.69

-67.53%

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

Last update for Miri: October 11, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$290 35.9%

Colombo

$277 34.4% 4.4% $13

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$196 * 24.2%

Colombo

$236 29.3% 20.3% $40

Eating Out

Miri

$98 12.1%

Colombo

$106 13.1% 8.2% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$92 11.4%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 9.2% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$74 9.2%

Colombo

$70 8.7% 5.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$38 4.7%

Colombo

$23 2.8% 40.4% $15

Getting Around

Miri

$20 2.5%

Colombo

$10 1.3% 49.7% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Miri and $578 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miri pays 163% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $12.00 in Miri vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $236 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

2 h 30 min behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

753,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Miri Colombo 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Miri
Colombo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Miri vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 163% higher in Miri, 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: $338 in Miri versus $578 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.5 in Miri versus $38.30 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 $12.00 in Miri. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $805 in Colombo versus $809 in Miri, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Miri. 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 $805 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Miri 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.

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