Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sousse and Colombo

For one person, living costs are similar in Sousse and in Colombo: $779 and $803 a month, rent and utilities included.

Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$779
/mo nomad
Colombo
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$803
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Sousse versus $803 in Colombo.

  • Sousse $779
  • Colombo $803

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in Sousse versus $1,208 in Colombo.

  • Sousse $1,261
  • Colombo $1,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,743 in Sousse versus $1,614 in Colombo.

  • Sousse $1,743
  • Colombo $1,614

Living in Sousse costs roughly 3% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sousse 43% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.90 TND 14.67
$3.77 LKR 1,250
29.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.60 TND 70.7
$25.25 LKR 8,362
-6.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.75 TND 20.22
$7.61 LKR 2,519
-11.30%
Cappuccino
$1.10 TND 3.29
$2.58 LKR 856
-57.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 TND 2.19
$0.68 LKR 225
7.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 TND 1.12
$0.25 LKR 82.6
52.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72 TND 5.14
$2.26 LKR 748
-23.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 TND 4.98
$3.00 LKR 995
-44.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.44 TND 1.32
$1.63 LKR 541
-73.01%
White Bread (500g)
$0.13 TND 0.40
$0.57 LKR 187
-77.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 TND 3.71
$0.79 LKR 263
56.96%
Eggs
$1.61 TND 4.82
$1.70 LKR 563
-5.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.70 TND 41.05
$13.65 LKR 4,522
0.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.80 TND 17.37
$4.84 LKR 1,604
19.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 TND 41.87
$7.62 LKR 2,525
83.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 TND 6.05
$6.51 LKR 2,156
-68.97%
Banana (1kg)
$3.49 TND 10.46
$0.85 LKR 283
310.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 TND 3.07
$4.49 LKR 1,487
-77.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.69 TND 2.06
$1.34 LKR 443
-48.51%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 TND 2.62
$0.99 LKR 329
-12.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 TND 2.05
$0.82 LKR 271
-15.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 TND 1.30
$0.92 LKR 305
-53.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33 TND 0.97
$0.45 LKR 150
-26.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.76 TND 11.25
$10.17 LKR 3,370
-63.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.98 TND 17.90
$12.69 LKR 4,204
-52.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 TND 3.08
$1.87 LKR 621
-44.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 TND 3.39
$2.94 LKR 973
-61.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 TND 0.99
$0.17 LKR 57.9
94.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.88 TND 29.60
$7.01 LKR 2,322
40.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.34 TND 1.03
$0.38 LKR 124
-10.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 TND 2.08
$0.37 LKR 124
86.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.00 TND 11.98
$0.93 LKR 308
330.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 TND 2.43
$1.37 LKR 454
-40.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.3K TND 120.6K
$43.4K LKR 14.4M
-7.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K TND 110.1K
$41.3K LKR 13.7M
-11.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.1 TND 225
$59.8 LKR 19.8K
25.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.68 TND 40.97
$4.36 LKR 1,444
213.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.58 TND 58.6
$20.96 LKR 6,942
-6.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.10 TND 84.2
$14.22 LKR 4,710
97.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.30 TND 78.8
$5.65 LKR 1,870
365.49%
Cinema Ticket
$6.54 TND 19.59
$4.60 LKR 1,525
42.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.6 TND 277
$37.19 LKR 12.3K
148.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,228 TND 9,667
$1,224 LKR 405.3K
163.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 TND 158
$18.18 LKR 6,020
189.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.9 TND 212
$16.85 LKR 5,580
320.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 TND 447
$77.5 LKR 25.7K
92.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.4 TND 298
$41.83 LKR 13.9K
137.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$241 TND 721
$567 LKR 187.8K
-57.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$161 TND 483
$274 LKR 90.6K
-41.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$512 TND 1,533
$1,506 LKR 498.9K
-66.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 TND 1,037
$424 LKR 140.4K
-18.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$978 TND 2,929
$3,742 LKR 1.2M
-73.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$621 TND 1,859
$1,160 LKR 384.1K
-46.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sousse
Colombo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$380 TND 1,139
$253 LKR 83.9K
50.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.4
12.69
-10.17%

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

Last update for Sousse: October 20, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sousse
$197
Colombo
$237 20.3% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Sousse
$167
Colombo
$69 58.5% $98
Accommodation & Living
Sousse
$161
Colombo
$274 69.8% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sousse
$108
Colombo
$85 21.4% $23
Eating Out
Sousse
$89
Colombo
$105 18.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Sousse
$41
Colombo
$23 43.1% $18
Getting Around
Sousse
$15
Colombo
$10 33.6% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Sousse and $567 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sousse pays 50% 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 Sousse vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $237 per month, with Sousse cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Sousse
🇱🇰 Colombo
🕒 Local time
12:22 12:22 PM
16:52 4:52 PM
4 h 30 min ahead of Sousse
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
221,530
753,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sousse Colombo 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sousse
  • 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
Sousse vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sousse or Colombo?
Sousse wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sousse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Sousse or in Colombo?
Average pay runs 50% higher in Sousse, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sousse compared to Colombo?
Rent for a central apartment: $241 in Sousse versus $567 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Sousse or in Colombo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Sousse and in Colombo?
Dining out is cheaper in Sousse – 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Sousse or in Colombo?
At $779 in Sousse versus $803 in Colombo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sousse but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Sousse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sousse or Colombo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Sousse delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $779 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sousse hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Sousse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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