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: $791 in Sousse versus $771 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,259 in Sousse versus $1,191 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,728 in Sousse versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Sousse is roughly 3% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sousse 42% lower, Colombo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 TND 13.56

$4.51 LKR 1,480

3.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.29 TND 70.3

$25.96 LKR 8,517

-6.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 TND 17.90

$7.80 LKR 2,557

-20.64%

Cappuccino

$1.06 TND 3.07

$2.47 LKR 810

-57.09%

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

$0.77 TND 2.23

$0.70 LKR 228

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 TND 1.05

$0.25 LKR 81.8

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 TND 5.03

$2.24 LKR 734

-22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 TND 4.90

$3.08 LKR 1,010

-44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 TND 1.40

$1.63 LKR 535

-70.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 TND 0.43

$0.57 LKR 187

-73.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 TND 3.76

$0.80 LKR 264

62.50%

Eggs

$1.64 TND 4.75

$1.65 LKR 541

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 TND 40.54

$13.08 LKR 4,292

7.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 TND 16.77

$4.96 LKR 1,627

16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 TND 41.61

$7.27 LKR 2,384

97.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 TND 5.55

$6.76 LKR 2,218

-71.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.84 TND 11.09

$0.83 LKR 272

362.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 TND 3.13

$4.17 LKR 1,369

-74.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 TND 2.24

$1.29 LKR 423

-39.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 TND 2.57

$1.05 LKR 343

-15.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 TND 2.17

$0.81 LKR 266

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 TND 1.25

$0.88 LKR 290

-51.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 TND 0.96

$0.49 LKR 159

-32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 TND 10.78

$10.25 LKR 3,361

-63.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 TND 14.96

$13.97 LKR 4,583

-62.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 TND 2.88

$1.89 LKR 621

-47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 TND 3.44

$2.78 LKR 910

-57.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 TND 1.02

$0.17 LKR 56.5

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.17 TND 29.42

$7.39 LKR 2,425

37.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$0.42 LKR 137

-26.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 TND 1.91

$0.36 LKR 117

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 TND 11.64

$0.88 LKR 288

357.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 TND 2.45

$1.33 LKR 435

-36.09%

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

$40.2K TND 116.4K

$30.4K LKR 10.0M

32.56%

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

$37.7K TND 109.0K

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

-9.66%

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

$77.2 TND 223

$54.9 LKR 18.0K

40.62%

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

$12.94 TND 37.43

$4.13 LKR 1,354

213.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.80 TND 51.5

$20.85 LKR 6,838

-14.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.44 TND 85.1

$14.29 LKR 4,687

106.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 TND 80.2

$5.67 LKR 1,858

389.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 TND 19.22

$4.33 LKR 1,419

53.58%

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

$98.3 TND 284

$37.34 LKR 12.2K

163.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,033 TND 8,773

$1,223 LKR 401.1K

148.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.89 TND 136

$19.78 LKR 6,487

137.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 TND 192

$16.93 LKR 5,555

291.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 TND 446

$79.4 LKR 26.0K

94.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 TND 310

$42.25 LKR 13.9K

154.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 TND 713

$547 LKR 179.5K

-54.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 TND 484

$248 LKR 81.2K

-32.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 TND 1,546

$1,575 LKR 516.8K

-66.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 TND 1,010

$403 LKR 132.3K

-13.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$997 TND 2,883

$3,772 LKR 1.2M

-73.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$641 TND 1,853

$1,203 LKR 394.7K

-46.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 TND 1,151

$250 LKR 82.0K

59.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

-5.44%

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

Last update for Sousse: August 30, 2026

Last update for Colombo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Sousse and $547 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sousse pays 59% 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: $24.00 in Sousse vs $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $237 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 3% 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 59% 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: $247 in Sousse versus $547 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sousse pay roughly 18% 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 $26.00 versus $24.00 in Sousse. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Colombo versus $791 in Sousse, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Sousse. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $771 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 3% less than in Sousse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.