Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $705 in Shantou versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,103 in Shantou versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,500 in Shantou versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Shantou costs roughly 2% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shantou 47% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 ¥13.73

$4.07 LKR 1,366

-50.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.87 ¥114

$25.28 LKR 8,492

-33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥33.62

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-42.21%

Cappuccino

$3.24 ¥21.96

$2.71 LKR 909

19.56%

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

$0.47 ¥3.21

$0.69 LKR 232

-31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.05

$0.40 LKR 136

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.43

$2.27 LKR 764

-64.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ¥18.10

$3.27 LKR 1,099

-18.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ¥11.41

$1.70 LKR 571

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ¥9.27

$0.55 LKR 185

149.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.83

$0.88 LKR 295

-19.32%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.60

$2.14 LKR 721

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.66 ¥85.7

$13.88 LKR 4,662

-8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 ¥25.44

$4.78 LKR 1,606

-21.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 ¥82.9

$8.09 LKR 2,717

51.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.74

$7.65 LKR 2,570

-75.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$1.07 LKR 359

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.35

$5.84 LKR 1,963

-71.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.64

$1.25 LKR 421

2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.28

$1.14 LKR 384

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.43

$1.36 LKR 458

-30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.59

$1.20 LKR 403

-43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.56 LKR 190

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.93

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-66.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 ¥83.9

$12.70 LKR 4,266

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.63

$2.09 LKR 702

-60.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.34

$2.90 LKR 974

-37.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.16 LKR 54.7

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.01 ¥149

$4.93 LKR 1,657

346.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.43

$0.38 LKR 129

305.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.35 LKR 119

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥45.31

$0.62 LKR 207

979.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.72

$1.19 LKR 401

-4.20%

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

$21.1K ¥142.9K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-22.33%

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

$19.5K ¥131.7K

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-43.23%

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

$53.3 ¥361

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

-10.62%

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

$8.53 ¥57.7

$4.30 LKR 1,444

98.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.89 ¥87.2

$15.37 LKR 5,165

-16.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 ¥278

$14.83 LKR 4,984

176.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 ¥95.6

$7.39 LKR 2,484

91.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.92

$3.28 LKR 1,103

106.71%

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

$450 ¥3,043

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

1133.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K ¥136.7K

$442 LKR 148.5K

4470.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.29 ¥334

$27.73 LKR 9,318

77.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 ¥202

$19.12 LKR 6,425

56.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ¥512

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 ¥527

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

97.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,897

$368 LKR 123.6K

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 ¥938

$173 LKR 58.0K

-19.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 ¥3,835

$971 LKR 326.1K

-41.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,904

$369 LKR 123.9K

-23.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,249 ¥15.2K

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-37.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,385 ¥29.7K

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

279.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 ¥7,020

$251 LKR 84.2K

313.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

16.45

-75.44%

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

Last update for Shantou: July 11, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Shantou and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 314% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Shantou vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $258 per month, with Shantou cheaper across the board.

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

Shantou vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 314% higher in Shantou, 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: $280 in Shantou versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shantou – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $25.00 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 Shantou 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 Shantou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shantou hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Shantou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.