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: $696 in Shantou versus $796 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,112 in Shantou versus $1,198 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,529 in Shantou versus $1,600 in Colombo.

Living in Shantou costs roughly 13% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shantou 48% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ¥15.33

$4.52 LKR 1,496

-49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.74 ¥159

$24.54 LKR 8,120

-3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.14

$7.51 LKR 2,483

-32.09%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.99

$2.49 LKR 825

31.73%

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

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.72 LKR 238

-40.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.27 LKR 90.2

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.78

$2.24 LKR 740

-61.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.48

$3.08 LKR 1,020

-29.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$1.55 LKR 514

3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$0.53 LKR 175

175.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$0.81 LKR 268

-4.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.18

$1.63 LKR 540

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 ¥92.0

$13.98 LKR 4,625

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ¥21.91

$5.01 LKR 1,657

-34.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 ¥86.8

$7.29 LKR 2,412

77.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.68

$6.69 LKR 2,213

-69.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.05

$0.84 LKR 278

78.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.07

$4.36 LKR 1,444

-58.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.22 LKR 405

7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.66

$0.99 LKR 329

-14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$0.82 LKR 270

23.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.93 LKR 307

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.47 LKR 154

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.59

$10.37 LKR 3,432

-63.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 ¥81.2

$13.56 LKR 4,488

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$1.87 LKR 620

-53.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$2.98 LKR 985

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.18 LKR 60.7

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.61 ¥158

$7.13 LKR 2,359

231.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$0.38 LKR 125

284.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$0.34 LKR 114

14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 ¥48.33

$0.95 LKR 314

660.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.66

$1.40 LKR 462

-7.86%

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

$19.0K ¥127.4K

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

-48.90%

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

$18.4K ¥123.1K

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

-54.61%

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

$58.2 ¥389

$54.8 LKR 18.1K

6.09%

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

$9.09 ¥60.9

$4.17 LKR 1,381

117.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.76 ¥92.1

$20.98 LKR 6,943

-34.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.81 LKR 4,569

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.62 LKR 1,861

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 ¥48.94

$4.35 LKR 1,439

68.05%

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

$538 ¥3,604

$37.68 LKR 12.5K

1328.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥162.0K

$1,201 LKR 397.3K

1915.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ¥359

$18.01 LKR 5,960

197.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.61 ¥265

$16.83 LKR 5,571

135.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 ¥495

$78.2 LKR 25.9K

-5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 ¥615

$41.66 LKR 13.8K

120.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ¥1,990

$586 LKR 193.9K

-49.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 ¥1,002

$274 LKR 90.7K

-45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ¥4,061

$1,514 LKR 500.8K

-59.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥2,004

$438 LKR 145.0K

-31.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 ¥14.7K

$3,694 LKR 1.2M

-40.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,507 ¥30.2K

$1,169 LKR 386.9K

285.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,044 ¥6,991

$257 LKR 85.1K

306.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

12.69

-73.60%

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

Last update for Shantou: October 5, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in Shantou and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 306% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Shantou vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $238 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 14% 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 306% 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: $297 in Shantou versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $24.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $696 in Shantou versus $796 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shantou but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Shantou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shantou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $696 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 14% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.