Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Friburgo and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Friburgo and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $733 in Nova Friburgo versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,198 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,663 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Nova Friburgo is roughly 2% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nova Friburgo 45% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 R$36.20

$4.13 LKR 1,381

73.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.81 R$161

$25.16 LKR 8,420

26.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R$29.88

$8.20 LKR 2,744

-28.05%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.62

$2.66 LKR 890

-28.57%

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

$0.80 R$4.05

$0.68 LKR 226

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 R$2.43

$0.41 LKR 136

17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 R$8.45

$2.39 LKR 800

-30.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 R$13.48

$3.43 LKR 1,146

-22.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 R$4.62

$1.73 LKR 579

-47.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 R$9.02

$0.53 LKR 176

235.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.41

$0.83 LKR 276

75.90%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$2.23 LKR 746

-10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 R$40.48

$14.02 LKR 4,690

-42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 R$18.56

$4.65 LKR 1,557

-21.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 R$40.92

$8.01 LKR 2,681

0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.08

$7.37 LKR 2,466

-81.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.97

$1.12 LKR 375

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.65

$5.83 LKR 1,952

-74.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.93

$1.25 LKR 417

25.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.56

$1.14 LKR 382

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.81

$1.42 LKR 475

-19.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.50

$1.14 LKR 382

-39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.08

$0.59 LKR 198

3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 R$10.11

$10.01 LKR 3,351

-80.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R$30.86

$12.73 LKR 4,259

-52.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.45

$2.11 LKR 706

-39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$10.45

$2.97 LKR 994

-30.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 R$4.61

$0.14 LKR 48.45

550.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.86 R$197

$5.09 LKR 1,702

663.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.39

$0.38 LKR 129

178.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R$2.36

$0.33 LKR 110

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 R$30.31

$0.60 LKR 201

898.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.26 LKR 420

-18.25%

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

$14.2K R$71.8K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-47.04%

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

$25.3K R$128.2K

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

-28.00%

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

$36.60 R$185

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

-39.50%

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

$8.52 R$43.12

$4.27 LKR 1,429

99.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 R$86.9

$15.34 LKR 5,133

11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.17 R$102

$14.79 LKR 4,948

36.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.99 R$111

$7.11 LKR 2,380

209.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 R$32.69

$3.28 LKR 1,096

96.95%

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

$545 R$2,760

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

1362.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$59.7K

$444 LKR 148.5K

2555.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.96 R$228

$27.15 LKR 9,084

65.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.34 R$209

$19.13 LKR 6,402

116.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 R$315

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

-11.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$314

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

62.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,573

$379 LKR 126.9K

-18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,102

$178 LKR 59.6K

22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 R$2,950

$937 LKR 313.6K

-37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,193

$361 LKR 120.7K

20.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,615 R$8,179

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

-56.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$808 R$4,090

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

-32.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$510 R$2,585

$247 LKR 82.8K

106.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

16.45

-31.12%

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

Last update for Nova Friburgo: June 1, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Nova Friburgo pays 106% 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: $32.00 in Nova Friburgo vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $177 vs $257, with Nova Friburgo 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

Nova Friburgo vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Nova Friburgo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Nova Friburgo pays 106% 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 Nova Friburgo versus $379 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nova Friburgo pay roughly 46% 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 $32.00 in Nova Friburgo. 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 $717 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 2% less than in Nova Friburgo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.