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: $676 in Shantou versus $771 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,098 in Shantou versus $1,191 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,520 in Shantou versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Shantou costs roughly 12% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shantou 51% lower, Colombo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 ¥14.89

$4.51 LKR 1,480

-50.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.97 ¥161

$25.96 LKR 8,517

-7.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.82

$7.80 LKR 2,557

-31.54%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.75

$2.47 LKR 810

37.25%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.70 LKR 228

-32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.25 LKR 81.8

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ¥5.73

$2.24 LKR 734

-62.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.23

$3.08 LKR 1,010

-26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥11.04

$1.63 LKR 535

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ¥9.88

$0.57 LKR 187

157.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.11

$0.80 LKR 264

-5.00%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.16

$1.65 LKR 541

0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 ¥91.9

$13.08 LKR 4,292

4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥23.86

$4.96 LKR 1,627

-28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 ¥87.5

$7.27 LKR 2,384

79.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$6.76 LKR 2,218

-69.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.16

$0.83 LKR 272

81.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.07

$4.17 LKR 1,369

-56.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.14

$1.29 LKR 423

5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.60

$1.05 LKR 343

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$0.81 LKR 266

25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$0.88 LKR 290

-35.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.94

$0.49 LKR 159

-10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 ¥24.30

$10.25 LKR 3,361

-64.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 ¥80.6

$13.97 LKR 4,584

-13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.59

$1.89 LKR 621

-56.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.25

$2.78 LKR 911

-34.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$0.17 LKR 56.5

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.72 ¥159

$7.39 LKR 2,425

220.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.81

$0.42 LKR 138

247.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.36 LKR 117

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 ¥47.71

$0.88 LKR 288

707.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.95

$1.33 LKR 435

-11.28%

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

$19.6K ¥131.7K

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

-35.37%

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

$18.5K ¥124.2K

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

-55.63%

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

$57.1 ¥383

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

3.99%

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

$9.04 ¥60.7

$4.13 LKR 1,354

118.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 ¥93.3

$20.85 LKR 6,838

-33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.29 LKR 4,687

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 LKR 1,858

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 ¥48.39

$4.33 LKR 1,419

66.51%

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

$525 ¥3,521

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

1305.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥163.9K

$1,223 LKR 401.1K

1897.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 ¥333

$19.78 LKR 6,487

150.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 ¥271

$16.93 LKR 5,555

138.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 ¥462

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

-13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 ¥593

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

109.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 ¥1,964

$547 LKR 179.5K

-46.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 ¥1,016

$248 LKR 81.2K

-38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥4,010

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

-62.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥2,003

$403 LKR 132.3K

-25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 ¥14.8K

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

-41.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,417 ¥29.6K

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

267.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,039 ¥6,972

$250 LKR 82.0K

315.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

12.69

-73.21%

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

Last update for Shantou: August 30, 2026

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $293 in Shantou and $547 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 316% 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 $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $237 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 316% 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: $293 in Shantou versus $547 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $676 in Shantou versus $771 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 $676 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.