Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penza and Colombo

For one person, living costs are similar in Penza and in Colombo: $806 and $804 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Penza

🇷🇺 Russia

$806

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penza 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 Penza and in Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Penza versus $804 in Colombo.

Penza $806
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in Penza versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Penza $1,271
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,736 in Penza versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Penza $1,736
Colombo $1,675

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Penza 41% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 ₽691

$3.74 LKR 1,243

129.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.57 ₽3,026

$24.72 LKR 8,219

51.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 ₽632

$7.60 LKR 2,529

3.29%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₽290

$2.45 LKR 814

46.94%

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

$1.06 ₽85.4

$0.68 LKR 227

55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽57.5

$0.27 LKR 89.9

162.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ₽194

$2.22 LKR 739

8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₽222

$3.07 LKR 1,020

-10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ₽85.5

$1.57 LKR 521

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₽39.01

$0.54 LKR 178

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

Eggs

$1.57 ₽127

$1.71 LKR 568

-8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 ₽1,075

$13.92 LKR 4,628

-4.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₽346

$4.78 LKR 1,591

-10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,481

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,127

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 284

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.7

$0.45 LKR 151

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ₽215

$10.33 LKR 3,436

-74.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 ₽769

$12.87 LKR 4,280

-25.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₽85.6

$1.93 LKR 642

-45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₽196

$3.00 LKR 999

-19.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₽31.21

$0.18 LKR 59.4

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,983

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 ₽206

$0.40 LKR 134

537.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₽19.18

$0.35 LKR 116

-31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.07 ₽1,214

$0.94 LKR 312

1503.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₽69.2

$1.32 LKR 438

-34.85%

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

$39.1K ₽3.1M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

-9.94%

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

$43.8K ₽3.5M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

10.32%

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

$84.6 ₽6,814

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

43.77%

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

$6.83 ₽550

$4.20 LKR 1,397

62.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.04 ₽889

$20.61 LKR 6,855

-46.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 ₽7,001

$19.88 LKR 6,613

337.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,933

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₽527

$4.42 LKR 1,469

48.19%

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

$376 ₽30.3K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

885.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$169 ₽13.6K

$17.77 LKR 5,909

849.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.0 ₽5,875

$16.62 LKR 5,527

338.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₽27.3K

$586 LKR 194.8K

-42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₽16.7K

$275 LKR 91.5K

-24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₽40.0K

$1,677 LKR 557.7K

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₽32.3K

$490 LKR 163.0K

-18.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,328 ₽187.5K

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,107 ₽89.1K

$1,158 LKR 385.1K

-4.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 ₽50.1K

$259 LKR 86.0K

140.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

89.13%

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

Last update for Penza: October 27, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penza

–

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Groceries & Markets

Penza

–

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Eating Out

Penza

–

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penza

–

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Penza

–

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Penza

–

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Getting Around

Penza

–

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Penza and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penza pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Penza vs $25 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $123 vs $235, with Penza cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Penza

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

12:03 12:03 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Penza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

509,513

753,000

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penza Colombo 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Penza
Colombo

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

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

Average pay in Penza is about 2.4 times higher, 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: $339 in Penza versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Penza pay roughly 48% 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 versus $38 in Penza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Colombo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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