Cost of Living Comparison Between Penza and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Penza and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $884 in Penza versus $727 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,327 in Penza versus $1,162 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,770 in Penza versus $1,596 in Colombo.

Living in Penza is roughly 22% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penza 34% lower, Colombo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 ₽587

$3.93 LKR 1,318

87.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.74 ₽2,606

$24.88 LKR 8,349

31.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ₽457

$8.46 LKR 2,839

-32.15%

Cappuccino

$1.12 ₽88.8

$2.74 LKR 920

-59.12%

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

$0.92 ₽73.2

$0.75 LKR 250

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽48.73

$0.40 LKR 136

52.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₽92.1

$2.32 LKR 777

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₽180

$3.27 LKR 1,098

-30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₽99.1

$1.78 LKR 596

-29.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₽58.0

$0.56 LKR 188

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ₽133

$0.87 LKR 293

91.95%

Eggs

$1.82 ₽145

$2.18 LKR 733

-16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 ₽818

$13.99 LKR 4,694

-26.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ₽322

$4.71 LKR 1,582

-14.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 ₽685

$8.21 LKR 2,755

4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₽95.4

$7.43 LKR 2,495

-83.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₽142

$1.06 LKR 356

67.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₽143

$5.73 LKR 1,923

-68.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 ₽229

$1.26 LKR 423

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ₽36.78

$1.11 LKR 373

-58.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 ₽42.21

$1.42 LKR 476

-62.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₽149

$1.16 LKR 388

61.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽57.3

$0.56 LKR 187

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₽238

$10.07 LKR 3,381

-70.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ₽749

$12.68 LKR 4,254

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₽75.6

$2.08 LKR 696

-54.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₽147

$2.97 LKR 997

-37.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ₽34.01

$0.16 LKR 55.2

168.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.07 LKR 1,702

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₽154

$0.42 LKR 140

359.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₽43.79

$0.32 LKR 109

71.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ₽348

$0.58 LKR 194

653.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 ₽59.5

$1.21 LKR 404

-38.02%

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

$34.8K ₽2.8M

$26.4K LKR 8.9M

31.75%

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

$35.6K ₽2.8M

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

0.63%

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

$108 ₽8,576

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

80.43%

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

$5.84 ₽465

$4.30 LKR 1,441

35.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.02 ₽638

$15.04 LKR 5,045

-46.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.20 ₽2,483

$14.69 LKR 4,929

112.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 LKR 2,441

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 ₽298

$3.45 LKR 1,157

8.41%

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

$318 ₽25.3K

$36.16 LKR 12.1K

778.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 ₽552.0K

$448 LKR 150.2K

1449.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₽5,637

$27.11 LKR 9,097

161.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.73 ₽3,480

$19.30 LKR 6,478

126.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₽9,267

$70.6 LKR 23.7K

64.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₽8,558

$39.20 LKR 13.2K

174.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ₽35.3K

$368 LKR 123.5K

20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₽20.1K

$179 LKR 60.1K

41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₽62.8K

$940 LKR 315.4K

-16.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₽28.7K

$369 LKR 123.8K

-2.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,440 ₽194.2K

$3,615 LKR 1.2M

-32.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,162 ₽92.5K

$1,180 LKR 395.9K

-1.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$609 ₽48.5K

$244 LKR 81.9K

149.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

-51.37%

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

Last update for Penza: July 27, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Penza and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penza pays 150% 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: $33.00 in Penza vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $258, with Penza cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Penza vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Penza. 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 150% higher in Penza, 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: $443 in Penza versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $318 in Penza versus $36.16 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 $33.00 in Penza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $727 in Colombo versus $884 in Penza, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Penza. 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 $727 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Penza 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 Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Penza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.