Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabriz and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabriz: $409 a month against $805 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Tabriz
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Tabriz Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
Learn more

Colombo Living Index

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Tabriz

🇮🇷 Iran

$409

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $409 in Tabriz versus $805 in Colombo.

Tabriz $409
Colombo $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $689 in Tabriz versus $1,211 in Colombo.

Tabriz $689
Colombo $1,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $968 in Tabriz versus $1,617 in Colombo.

Tabriz $968
Colombo $1,617

Living in Tabriz costs roughly 49% less than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tabriz 70% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 $3.06

$3.89 LKR 1,287

-21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.10 $15.10

$24.55 LKR 8,130

-38.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 $3.98

$7.60 LKR 2,519

-47.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 $1.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

Cappuccino

$1.36 $1.36

$2.55 LKR 845

-46.67%

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

$0.59 $0.59

$0.68 LKR 226

-13.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.27 LKR 89.8

129.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 745

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,019

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.63 LKR 539

-63.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.58 LKR 191

-36.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$0.77 LKR 255

367.53%

Eggs

$0.91 $0.91

$1.72 LKR 571

-47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$13.97 LKR 4,627

-65.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.79 LKR 1,587

-40.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$7.41 LKR 2,455

30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$6.54 LKR 2,168

-84.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.80 LKR 267

65.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 $0.85

$4.28 LKR 1,417

-80.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.29 LKR 427

-55.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.00 LKR 331

-47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.77 LKR 256

-33.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 $0.42

$0.89 LKR 296

-52.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.42 LKR 140

-54.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 $0.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$10.30 LKR 3,413

-79.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 LKR 4,274

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 633

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 969

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.19 LKR 63.9

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.10 $12.10

$7.27 LKR 2,407

66.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$0.41 LKR 135

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.37 LKR 123

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$0.92 LKR 305

325.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.34 LKR 445

-93.28%

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

$73.4K $73.4K

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

101.73%

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

$53.0K $53.0K

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

33.22%

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

$14.19 $14.19

$59.0 LKR 19.5K

-75.94%

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

$1.91 $1.91

$4.37 LKR 1,446

-56.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.57 $5.57

$20.37 LKR 6,748

-72.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.36 $14.36

$13.72 LKR 4,545

4.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.65 $24.65

$5.64 LKR 1,868

337.06%

Cinema Ticket

$1.49 $1.49

$4.46 LKR 1,476

-66.59%

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

$60.6 $60.6

$38.30 LKR 12.7K

58.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$550 $550

$1,211 LKR 401.2K

-54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.57 $15.57

$18.16 LKR 6,016

-14.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.66 $10.66

$16.76 LKR 5,550

-36.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 $75.3

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

-4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.19 $49.19

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 $151

$578 LKR 191.3K

-73.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 $119

$277 LKR 91.8K

-56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 $374

$1,495 LKR 495.3K

-75.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 $248

$433 LKR 143.4K

-42.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$860 $860

$3,668 LKR 1.2M

-76.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$837 $837

$1,167 LKR 386.7K

-28.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$232 $232

$259 LKR 85.9K

-10.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

12.69

77.30%

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

Last update for Tabriz: October 11, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tabriz

$119 29.2%

Colombo

$277 34.4% 132% $158

Groceries & Markets

Tabriz

$111 27.2%

Colombo

$236 29.3% 112% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Tabriz

$68 16.6%

Colombo

$70 8.7% 3.4% $2.3

Eating Out

Tabriz

$58 14.1%

Colombo

$106 13.1% 83.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tabriz

$22 5.3%

Colombo

$84 10.4% 287% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Tabriz

$17 4.2%

Colombo

$23 2.8% 30.6% $5.3

Getting Around

Tabriz

$14 3.4%

Colombo

$10 1.3% 25.9% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $151 in Tabriz and $578 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 12% 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: $15.00 in Tabriz vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $111 vs $236 per month, with Tabriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tabriz

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

05:44 5:44 AM

2 h ahead of Tabriz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,558,693

753,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

LKR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tabriz Colombo 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tabriz
Colombo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tabriz vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tabriz wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tabriz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Colombo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $151 in Tabriz versus $578 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tabriz – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $25.00 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $409 in Tabriz versus $805 in Colombo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tabriz but tight or insufficient in Colombo. The gap between the two cities makes Tabriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tabriz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $409 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tabriz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tabriz 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 Tabriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.