Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 69% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.69

$4.13 LKR 1,381

161.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$25.16 LKR 8,420

71.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.02

$8.20 LKR 2,744

1.10%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.96

$2.66 LKR 890

12.78%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$0.68 LKR 226

20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.41 LKR 136

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$2.39 LKR 800

-6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.74

$3.43 LKR 1,146

-14.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$1.73 LKR 579

11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$0.53 LKR 176

28.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.99

$0.83 LKR 276

126.51%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.73

$2.23 LKR 746

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.69

$14.02 LKR 4,690

-47.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.43

$4.65 LKR 1,557

33.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.86

$8.01 LKR 2,681

16.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$7.37 LKR 2,466

-83.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$1.12 LKR 375

48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$5.83 LKR 1,952

-69.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.95

$1.25 LKR 417

79.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$1.14 LKR 382

-37.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$1.42 LKR 475

-52.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$1.14 LKR 382

3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.59 LKR 198

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$10.01 LKR 3,351

-70.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.20

$12.73 LKR 4,259

-40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$2.11 LKR 706

-27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.98

$2.97 LKR 994

-24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.14 LKR 48.45

157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.35

$5.09 LKR 1,702

183.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.96

$0.38 LKR 129

292.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.33 LKR 110

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.19

$0.60 LKR 201

1105.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$1.26 LKR 420

-9.52%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-31.05%

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

$20.0K ₾53.0K

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

-43.22%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

21.79%

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

$11.64 ₾30.90

$4.27 LKR 1,429

172.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.38

$15.34 LKR 5,133

16.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$14.79 LKR 4,948

306.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.62

$7.11 LKR 2,380

136.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.54

$3.28 LKR 1,096

101.22%

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

$266 ₾707

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

614.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$444 LKR 148.5K

1069.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$27.15 LKR 9,084

186.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$19.13 LKR 6,402

133.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

65.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

195.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,839

$379 LKR 126.9K

82.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,226

$178 LKR 59.6K

159.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,504

$937 LKR 313.6K

40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,056

$361 LKR 120.7K

114.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,454

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

-34.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,839

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

21.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,786

$247 LKR 82.8K

171.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

16.45

-27.72%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 172% 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: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $257, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tbilisi vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Tbilisi pays 172% 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $379 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 27% 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 $43.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $717 in Colombo versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. 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 $717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi 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 Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.