Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, Philippines and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $614 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$614

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $614 in Santa Rosa versus $804 in Colombo.

Santa Rosa $614
Colombo $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $873 in Santa Rosa versus $1,240 in Colombo.

Santa Rosa $873
Colombo $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,131 in Santa Rosa versus $1,675 in Colombo.

Santa Rosa $1,131
Colombo $1,675

Living in Santa Rosa costs roughly 24% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Rosa 55% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 ₱158

$3.74 LKR 1,242

-33.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.32 ₱1,044

$24.72 LKR 8,214

-33.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱177

$7.60 LKR 2,527

-63.68%

Cappuccino

$1.12 ₱71.4

$2.45 LKR 814

-54.29%

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

$0.36 ₱22.79

$0.68 LKR 226

-47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.27 LKR 89.8

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$2.22 LKR 739

-54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$3.07 LKR 1,019

-58.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱102

$1.57 LKR 520

1.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.7

$0.54 LKR 178

112.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.7

$0.80 LKR 266

23.75%

Eggs

$1.53 ₱97.9

$1.71 LKR 567

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱326

$13.92 LKR 4,625

-63.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ₱219

$4.78 LKR 1,590

-28.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 ₱496

$7.46 LKR 2,480

3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱140

$6.40 LKR 2,126

-65.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.3

$0.85 LKR 283

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱146

$4.26 LKR 1,416

-46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱64.1

$1.33 LKR 443

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.00 LKR 334

71.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₱111

$0.81 LKR 270

113.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱41.04

$0.93 LKR 308

-31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.42

$0.45 LKR 151

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$10.33 LKR 3,434

-72.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 ₱560

$12.87 LKR 4,277

-32.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱61.1

$1.93 LKR 642

-50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$3.00 LKR 999

-32.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.30

$0.18 LKR 59.3

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.39 ₱857

$5.96 LKR 1,982

124.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$0.40 LKR 134

102.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.35 LKR 116

-31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱123

$0.94 LKR 312

104.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱65.3

$1.32 LKR 438

-22.73%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

-51.10%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

-51.73%

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

$62.5 ₱3,996

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

6.12%

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

$6.40 ₱409

$4.20 LKR 1,396

52.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 ₱1,498

$20.61 LKR 6,851

13.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.17 ₱1,994

$19.88 LKR 6,609

56.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 ₱383

$5.81 LKR 1,932

3.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱330

$4.42 LKR 1,468

16.74%

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

$132 ₱8,417

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

244.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,549 ₱355.1K

$1,214 LKR 403.4K

357.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.17 ₱1,803

$17.77 LKR 5,905

58.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,235

$16.62 LKR 5,523

16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,576

$77.8 LKR 25.8K

-8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,523

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.3K

$586 LKR 194.7K

-56.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.8K

$275 LKR 91.4K

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₱31.6K

$1,677 LKR 557.4K

-70.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$490 LKR 162.9K

-65.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 ₱157.2K

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

-32.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,162 ₱74.4K

$1,158 LKR 384.9K

0.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$140 ₱8,946

$259 LKR 86.0K

-45.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.69

-46.81%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa: 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

Santa Rosa

$168 27.4%

Colombo

$275 34.2% 63.4% $107

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa

$166 27.1%

Colombo

$235 29.2% 41.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa

$92 15%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 9.3% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa

$78 12.8%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 11.3% $8.8

Eating Out

Santa Rosa

$51 8.3%

Colombo

$103 12.8% 101% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa

$41 6.8%

Colombo

$29 3.6% 30.8% $13

Getting Around

Santa Rosa

$16 2.6%

Colombo

$8.8 1.1% 45.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Santa Rosa and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 85% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Santa Rosa vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $235 per month, with Santa Rosa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

2 h 30 min behind Santa Rosa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

414,812

753,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Rosa Colombo 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Rosa
Colombo

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

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

Santa Rosa vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Rosa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Santa Rosa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $255 in Santa Rosa versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rosa – a meal for two runs $16 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Santa Rosa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 – Santa Rosa wins on affordability, Colombo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.