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: $1,218 in Tbilisi versus $710 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,854 in Tbilisi versus $1,161 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Tbilisi versus $1,612 in Colombo.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 72% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Colombo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 ₾29.00

$3.93 LKR 1,242

174.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 ₾116

$24.89 LKR 7,861

73.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.27 ₾22.24

$8.60 LKR 2,717

-3.84%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ₾7.94

$2.63 LKR 831

12.17%

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

$0.76 ₾2.05

$0.69 LKR 219

10.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₾1.13

$0.40 LKR 127

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾6.03

$2.27 LKR 718

-1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.71

$3.38 LKR 1,067

-15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.19

$1.77 LKR 560

9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.84

$0.57 LKR 179

19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.97

$0.83 LKR 262

122.89%

Eggs

$2.49 ₾6.69

$2.12 LKR 669

17.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 ₾20.27

$13.85 LKR 4,375

-45.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ₾17.09

$4.64 LKR 1,464

36.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 ₾25.38

$7.98 LKR 2,519

18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$7.39 LKR 2,333

-84.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₾4.26

$1.12 LKR 354

41.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ₾5.00

$5.65 LKR 1,785

-67.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾6.03

$1.21 LKR 381

85.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.79

$1.15 LKR 362

-42.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.83

$1.41 LKR 444

-51.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.17

$1.18 LKR 374

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.77

$0.61 LKR 191

8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₾8.25

$10.19 LKR 3,217

-69.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₾20.34

$12.87 LKR 4,065

-41.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.08

$2.08 LKR 656

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾6.15

$2.93 LKR 926

-21.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₾0.95

$0.19 LKR 58.7

84.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.79 ₾39.78

$4.93 LKR 1,557

200.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ₾3.90

$0.38 LKR 121

281.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.35 LKR 112

108.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 ₾19.78

$0.61 LKR 194

1104.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.93

$1.22 LKR 385

-10.66%

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

$18.4K ₾49.5K

$26.8K LKR 8.5M

-31.44%

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

$20.3K ₾54.5K

$34.6K LKR 10.9M

-41.45%

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

$73.3 ₾197

$60.1 LKR 19.0K

22.06%

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

$11.72 ₾31.53

$4.36 LKR 1,377

168.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 ₾48.08

$15.10 LKR 4,768

18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ₾165

$14.30 LKR 4,518

328.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 ₾43.94

$7.38 LKR 2,332

121.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 ₾17.73

$3.34 LKR 1,054

97.31%

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

$261 ₾702

$36.76 LKR 11.6K

609.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,156 ₾13.9K

$445 LKR 140.7K

1057.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 ₾205

$27.84 LKR 8,792

173.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.83 ₾118

$19.75 LKR 6,238

121.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₾325

$68.3 LKR 21.6K

76.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾304

$38.76 LKR 12.2K

191.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 ₾1,873

$378 LKR 119.4K

84.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,226

$175 LKR 55.3K

160.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 ₾3,500

$969 LKR 305.9K

34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 ₾2,067

$366 LKR 115.6K

109.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 ₾6,725

$3,718 LKR 1.2M

-32.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 ₾3,853

$1,230 LKR 388.4K

16.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 ₾1,756

$242 LKR 76.4K

169.75%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $696 in Tbilisi and $378 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 170% 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 in Tbilisi vs $25 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $256, 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 72% 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 170% 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: $696 in Tbilisi versus $378 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 26% 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 $710 in Colombo versus $1,218 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 $710 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 72% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.