Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Miri versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,091 in Miri versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,499 in Miri versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Miri costs roughly 5% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 49% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.22 MYR 12.78

$4.13 LKR 1,369

-22.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.73 MYR 46.49

$25.16 LKR 8,344

-53.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 MYR 15.94

$8.20 LKR 2,719

-50.98%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MYR 10.61

$2.66 LKR 882

0.75%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.76

$0.68 LKR 224

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.41 LKR 135

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MYR 11.45

$2.39 LKR 793

20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MYR 14.66

$3.43 LKR 1,136

7.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MYR 5.37

$1.73 LKR 574

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 MYR 5.73

$0.53 LKR 175

173.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 MYR 3.18

$0.83 LKR 274

-3.61%

Eggs

$3.27 MYR 12.97

$2.23 LKR 739

46.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MYR 43.64

$14.02 LKR 4,648

-21.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 MYR 19.05

$4.65 LKR 1,543

3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.04 MYR 47.72

$8.01 LKR 2,657

50.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MYR 12.53

$7.37 LKR 2,444

-57.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.73

$1.12 LKR 371

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 8.97

$5.83 LKR 1,934

-61.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.49

$1.25 LKR 414

10.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.35

$1.14 LKR 379

-48.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MYR 3.57

$1.42 LKR 470

-36.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.61

$1.14 LKR 379

-20.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.33

$0.59 LKR 196

-44.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 16.77

$10.01 LKR 3,321

-57.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.47 MYR 81.2

$12.73 LKR 4,220

60.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.02

$2.11 LKR 699

43.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MYR 8.98

$2.97 LKR 985

-23.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 MYR 5.41

$0.14 LKR 48.01

871.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.72 MYR 34.59

$5.09 LKR 1,687

71.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.77

$0.38 LKR 128

215.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 2.97

$0.33 LKR 109

127.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MYR 22.85

$0.60 LKR 199

860.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$1.26 LKR 416

-63.49%

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

$57.9K MYR 229.7K

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

116.44%

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

$28.2K MYR 111.8K

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

-19.82%

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

$30.45 MYR 121

$60.5 LKR 20.1K

-49.67%

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

$9.34 MYR 37.04

$4.27 LKR 1,416

118.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 MYR 128

$15.34 LKR 5,086

109.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 MYR 113

$14.79 LKR 4,903

92.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.75 MYR 22.79

$7.11 LKR 2,358

-19.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 MYR 16.53

$3.28 LKR 1,086

27.13%

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

$97.6 MYR 387

$37.28 LKR 12.4K

161.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,240 MYR 20.8K

$444 LKR 147.1K

1080.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.09 MYR 139

$27.15 LKR 9,002

29.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.06 MYR 75.6

$19.13 LKR 6,344

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 MYR 178

$70.7 LKR 23.4K

-36.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.98 MYR 127

$38.24 LKR 12.7K

-16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,231

$379 LKR 125.7K

-18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 MYR 656

$178 LKR 59.0K

-7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 MYR 1,961

$937 LKR 310.7K

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,501

$361 LKR 119.6K

4.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,286 MYR 5,100

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

-65.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$697 MYR 2,765

$1,189 LKR 394.1K

-41.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 MYR 3,041

$247 LKR 82.1K

209.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

16.45

-77.93%

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

Last update for Miri: May 30, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Miri and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miri pays 210% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Miri vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $257 per month, with Miri 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

Miri vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Miri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Miri pays 210% 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: $311 in Miri versus $379 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Miri 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 Miri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $682 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Miri 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.

Expats usually find Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.