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: $584 in Nova Friburgo versus $771 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $982 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,191 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,379 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Nova Friburgo costs roughly 24% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nova Friburgo 58% lower, Colombo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 R$30.21

$4.51 LKR 1,480

31.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.69 R$146

$25.96 LKR 8,517

10.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.36 R$32.44

$7.80 LKR 2,557

-18.46%

Cappuccino

$1.65 R$8.40

$2.47 LKR 810

-33.20%

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

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.70 LKR 228

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 R$2.62

$0.25 LKR 81.8

104.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 R$6.07

$2.24 LKR 734

-46.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 R$11.66

$3.08 LKR 1,010

-25.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.75

$1.63 LKR 535

-42.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 R$7.45

$0.57 LKR 187

156.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.71

$0.80 LKR 264

65.00%

Eggs

$1.88 R$9.58

$1.65 LKR 541

13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 R$45.51

$13.08 LKR 4,292

-31.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 R$16.68

$4.96 LKR 1,627

-34.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 R$48.83

$7.27 LKR 2,384

31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R$8.01

$6.76 LKR 2,218

-76.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.64

$0.83 LKR 272

33.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.82

$4.17 LKR 1,369

-77.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.29 LKR 423

-3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 R$3.44

$1.05 LKR 343

-36.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 R$4.02

$0.81 LKR 266

-2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 R$2.76

$0.88 LKR 290

-38.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.02

$0.49 LKR 159

61.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 R$7.79

$10.25 LKR 3,361

-85.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 R$29.17

$13.97 LKR 4,583

-59.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.89 LKR 621

-50.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$6.74

$2.78 LKR 910

-52.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$5.01

$0.17 LKR 56.5

476.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.39 LKR 2,425

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R$5.79

$0.42 LKR 137

171.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 R$2.51

$0.36 LKR 117

36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 R$33.67

$0.88 LKR 288

650.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.24

$1.33 LKR 435

-8.27%

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

$18.6K R$95.1K

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

-38.59%

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

$30.4K R$154.8K

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

-27.25%

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

$39.23 R$200

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

-28.50%

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

$9.23 R$47.05

$4.13 LKR 1,354

123.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.43 R$94.0

$20.85 LKR 6,838

-11.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.40 R$109

$14.29 LKR 4,687

49.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 LKR 1,858

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 R$32.32

$4.33 LKR 1,419

46.42%

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

$140 R$714

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

275.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,496 R$12.7K

$1,223 LKR 401.1K

104.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 R$350

$19.78 LKR 6,487

246.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.1 R$414

$16.93 LKR 5,555

379.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 R$327

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

-19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.53 R$232

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 R$795

$547 LKR 179.5K

-71.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.6 R$493

$248 LKR 81.2K

-60.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 R$1,990

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

-75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 R$1,163

$403 LKR 132.3K

-43.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,523 R$7,766

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

-59.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$770 R$3,929

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

-35.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$488 R$2,487

$250 LKR 82.0K

95.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

12.69

-15.92%

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

Last update for Nova Friburgo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Nova Friburgo and $547 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nova Friburgo pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Nova Friburgo vs $26.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $167 vs $237, 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

Nova Friburgo wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nova Friburgo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Nova Friburgo, 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: $156 in Nova Friburgo versus $547 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $140 in Nova Friburgo versus $37.34 in Colombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nova Friburgo – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $584 in Nova Friburgo versus $771 in Colombo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nova Friburgo but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Friburgo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nova Friburgo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $584 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nova Friburgo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nova Friburgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.