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: $710 in Sousse versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,145 in Sousse versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Sousse versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Sousse costs roughly 1% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 TND 11.10

$4.13 LKR 1,381

-7.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.99 TND 69.3

$25.16 LKR 8,420

-4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 TND 14.97

$8.20 LKR 2,744

-36.83%

Cappuccino

$0.96 TND 2.78

$2.66 LKR 890

-63.91%

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

$0.70 TND 2.04

$0.68 LKR 226

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.83

$0.41 LKR 136

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 TND 3.38

$2.39 LKR 800

-51.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 TND 4.62

$3.43 LKR 1,146

-53.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 TND 1.45

$1.73 LKR 579

-71.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.52

$0.53 LKR 176

-66.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 TND 3.83

$0.83 LKR 276

59.04%

Eggs

$1.74 TND 5.03

$2.23 LKR 746

-21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 TND 34.49

$14.02 LKR 4,690

-14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 TND 16.09

$4.65 LKR 1,557

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 TND 39.85

$8.01 LKR 2,681

72.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 TND 4.52

$7.37 LKR 2,466

-78.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 TND 9.24

$1.12 LKR 375

185.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 TND 2.66

$5.83 LKR 1,952

-84.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 TND 1.81

$1.25 LKR 417

-49.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 TND 1.88

$1.14 LKR 382

-42.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 TND 1.84

$1.42 LKR 475

-54.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 TND 1.27

$1.14 LKR 382

-61.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.93

$0.59 LKR 198

-45.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 TND 10.18

$10.01 LKR 3,351

-64.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 TND 14.92

$12.73 LKR 4,259

-59.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 TND 3.44

$2.11 LKR 706

-43.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 TND 3.13

$2.97 LKR 994

-63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 TND 0.88

$0.14 LKR 48.45

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.08 TND 29.12

$5.09 LKR 1,702

98.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.92

$0.38 LKR 129

-15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 TND 1.40

$0.33 LKR 110

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 TND 17.19

$0.60 LKR 201

891.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.54

$1.26 LKR 420

-30.16%

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

$47.1K TND 136.0K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

75.80%

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

$35.6K TND 102.7K

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

1.09%

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

$65.4 TND 189

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

8.03%

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

$11.03 TND 31.89

$4.27 LKR 1,429

158.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.56 TND 53.6

$15.34 LKR 5,133

20.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 TND 78.7

$14.79 LKR 4,948

84.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.80 TND 77.4

$7.11 LKR 2,380

276.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 TND 19.11

$3.28 LKR 1,096

101.52%

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

$105 TND 304

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

182.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,235 TND 9,349

$444 LKR 148.5K

628.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.75 TND 121

$27.15 LKR 9,084

53.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 TND 174

$19.13 LKR 6,402

214.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 TND 432

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

111.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 TND 236

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

113.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 TND 704

$379 LKR 126.9K

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 TND 482

$178 LKR 59.6K

-6.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 TND 1,263

$937 LKR 313.6K

-53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 TND 938

$361 LKR 120.7K

-10.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,001 TND 2,893

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

-73.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$648 TND 1,872

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

-45.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 TND 1,136

$247 LKR 82.8K

58.83%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Sousse and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sousse pays 59% 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 $185 vs $257 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

Sousse wins on cost – living expenses run 1% 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.

Sousse pays 59% more on average, 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: $244 in Sousse versus $379 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sousse 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 Sousse delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $710 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sousse hard to pass up.

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