Cost of Living Comparison Between Sousse and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Sousse and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Sousse versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,179 in Sousse versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,632 in Sousse versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Sousse is roughly 1% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 TND 11.74

$4.07 LKR 1,366

-1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.39 TND 68.4

$25.28 LKR 8,494

-7.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 TND 15.11

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-39.88%

Cappuccino

$0.89 TND 2.61

$2.71 LKR 909

-67.16%

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

$0.67 TND 1.95

$0.69 LKR 232

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$0.40 LKR 136

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 TND 3.38

$2.27 LKR 764

-48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 TND 4.57

$3.27 LKR 1,099

-52.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.44

$1.70 LKR 571

-71.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.17 TND 0.49

$0.55 LKR 185

-69.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 TND 3.86

$0.88 LKR 295

50.00%

Eggs

$1.69 TND 4.94

$2.14 LKR 721

-21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 TND 35.77

$13.88 LKR 4,663

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 TND 16.38

$4.78 LKR 1,606

17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 TND 40.71

$8.09 LKR 2,717

71.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 TND 4.62

$7.65 LKR 2,571

-79.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 TND 9.41

$1.07 LKR 359

200.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 TND 2.69

$5.84 LKR 1,964

-84.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 TND 1.84

$1.25 LKR 421

-49.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 TND 2.04

$1.14 LKR 384

-38.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 TND 1.72

$1.36 LKR 458

-56.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 TND 1.18

$1.20 LKR 403

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$0.56 LKR 190

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 TND 10.36

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-64.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 TND 14.74

$12.70 LKR 4,267

-60.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 TND 3.46

$2.09 LKR 702

-43.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 TND 3.10

$2.90 LKR 974

-63.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TND 0.90

$0.16 LKR 54.7

93.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 TND 29.43

$4.93 LKR 1,657

104.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.93

$0.38 LKR 129

-15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 TND 1.43

$0.35 LKR 119

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 TND 17.57

$0.62 LKR 207

867.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 TND 2.40

$1.19 LKR 401

-31.09%

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

$47.0K TND 137.6K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

73.03%

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

$36.8K TND 107.6K

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

7.30%

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

$63.7 TND 186

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

6.83%

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

$11.06 TND 32.38

$4.30 LKR 1,444

157.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.22 TND 53.3

$15.37 LKR 5,166

18.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.64 TND 77.9

$14.83 LKR 4,984

79.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.09 TND 79.3

$7.39 LKR 2,485

266.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 TND 18.77

$3.28 LKR 1,104

95.43%

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

$106 TND 311

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

191.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,225 TND 9,437

$442 LKR 148.5K

629.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.09 TND 120

$27.73 LKR 9,320

48.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 TND 176

$19.12 LKR 6,426

215.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 TND 449

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

121.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 TND 247

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

115.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 TND 703

$368 LKR 123.6K

-34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 TND 480

$173 LKR 58.0K

-5.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 TND 1,272

$971 LKR 326.2K

-55.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 TND 942

$369 LKR 124.0K

-12.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 TND 2,944

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-71.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 TND 1,853

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

-45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$382 TND 1,117

$251 LKR 84.2K

52.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

-27.05%

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

Last update for Sousse: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Sousse and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sousse pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Sousse vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $258 per month, with Sousse 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

Sousse vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Sousse. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Sousse, 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: $240 in Sousse versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sousse pay roughly 39% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $23.00 in Sousse. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Colombo 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 Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Sousse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.