Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $765 in Sulaymaniyah versus $789 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,200 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,575 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,610 in Colombo.

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 3% less than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 45% lower, Colombo 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 IQD 5,959

$4.38 LKR 1,438

3.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 IQD 30.6K

$25.76 LKR 8,454

-9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 IQD 9,094

$7.60 LKR 2,496

-8.68%

Cappuccino

$2.47 IQD 3,240

$2.45 LKR 803

0.82%

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

$0.46 IQD 596

$0.74 LKR 243

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 IQD 302

$0.25 LKR 81.3

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 IQD 5,865

$2.24 LKR 736

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 IQD 2,958

$2.98 LKR 978

-24.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 IQD 1,803

$1.58 LKR 519

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 IQD 1,183

$0.52 LKR 172

73.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 IQD 2,546

$0.81 LKR 267

139.51%

Eggs

$1.70 IQD 2,227

$1.64 LKR 539

3.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.03 IQD 6,585

$13.18 LKR 4,327

-61.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 IQD 4,681

$5.06 LKR 1,661

-29.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 IQD 21.0K

$7.14 LKR 2,344

124.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 IQD 1,707

$6.69 LKR 2,195

-80.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 IQD 1,696

$0.88 LKR 288

47.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 IQD 1,563

$4.35 LKR 1,427

-72.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 891

$1.29 LKR 424

-47.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 760

$1.00 LKR 329

-42.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 964

$0.80 LKR 262

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 IQD 933

$0.94 LKR 310

-24.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 651

$0.49 LKR 161

2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 IQD 3,165

$10.36 LKR 3,398

-76.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 IQD 14.9K

$13.67 LKR 4,486

-16.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,429

$1.96 LKR 645

-5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,185

$2.89 LKR 947

-42.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 782

$0.17 LKR 57.1

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 IQD 30.2K

$7.29 LKR 2,394

216.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 IQD 3,046

$0.39 LKR 127

497.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 IQD 3,083

$0.39 LKR 126

502.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 IQD 7,198

$0.95 LKR 312

478.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 IQD 877

$1.34 LKR 439

-50.00%

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

$20.5K IQD 26.8M

$30.0K LKR 9.8M

-31.73%

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

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

$42.5K LKR 13.9M

-55.04%

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

$101 IQD 132.5K

$55.4 LKR 18.2K

82.84%

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

$11.03 IQD 14.4K

$4.06 LKR 1,332

171.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.65 IQD 37.5K

$20.56 LKR 6,746

39.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.86 IQD 47.0K

$14.69 LKR 4,821

144.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.57 IQD 26.9K

$5.92 LKR 1,944

247.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$4.43 LKR 1,454

77.20%

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

$175 IQD 229.1K

$38.87 LKR 12.8K

350.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,899 IQD 3.8M

$1,212 LKR 397.7K

139.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

$20.17 LKR 6,618

-3.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.14 IQD 32.9K

$16.47 LKR 5,404

52.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.60 IQD 55.8K

$80.9 LKR 26.5K

-47.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.79 IQD 49.5K

$43.13 LKR 14.2K

-12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 IQD 306.0K

$554 LKR 182.0K

-57.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 229.7K

$251 LKR 82.2K

-29.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 IQD 672.3K

$1,581 LKR 518.8K

-67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 IQD 473.7K

$410 LKR 134.5K

-11.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.0M

$3,725 LKR 1.2M

-78.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$574 IQD 751.4K

$1,211 LKR 397.4K

-52.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$572 IQD 749.1K

$252 LKR 82.6K

127.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

12.69

-54.53%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: September 6, 2026

Last update for Colombo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Sulaymaniyah and $554 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 127% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $237 per month, with Sulaymaniyah 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

Sulaymaniyah vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sulaymaniyah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 127% higher in Sulaymaniyah, 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: $234 in Sulaymaniyah versus $554 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $26.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Sulaymaniyah versus $789 in Colombo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sulaymaniyah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $765 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sulaymaniyah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sulaymaniyah and Colombo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah 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.