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: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 67% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$4.07 LKR 1,366

165.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$25.28 LKR 8,494

73.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-3.37%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$2.71 LKR 909

9.59%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.69 LKR 232

11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.40 LKR 136

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$2.27 LKR 764

-5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$3.27 LKR 1,099

-12.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.70 LKR 571

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.55 LKR 185

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$0.88 LKR 295

117.05%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$2.14 LKR 721

15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$13.88 LKR 4,663

-44.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$4.78 LKR 1,606

29.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$8.09 LKR 2,717

18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$7.65 LKR 2,571

-84.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.07 LKR 359

54.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$5.84 LKR 1,964

-68.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$1.25 LKR 421

86.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.14 LKR 384

-37.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$1.36 LKR 458

-50.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$1.20 LKR 403

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.56 LKR 190

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-70.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$12.70 LKR 4,267

-39.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$2.09 LKR 702

-23.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$2.90 LKR 974

-20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.16 LKR 54.7

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$4.93 LKR 1,657

199.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$0.38 LKR 129

294.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.35 LKR 119

94.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$0.62 LKR 207

1070.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$1.19 LKR 401

-8.40%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-31.55%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-40.27%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

22.48%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$4.30 LKR 1,444

178.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$15.37 LKR 5,166

17.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$14.83 LKR 4,984

311.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$7.39 LKR 2,485

123.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$3.28 LKR 1,104

104.27%

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

$269 ₾705

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

637.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$442 LKR 148.5K

1065.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$27.73 LKR 9,320

175.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$19.12 LKR 6,426

127.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

74.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

181.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$368 LKR 123.6K

86.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$173 LKR 58.0K

172.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$971 LKR 326.2K

39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$369 LKR 124.0K

113.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-31.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

25.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$251 LKR 84.2K

163.03%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 163% 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: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $258, 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 67% 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.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Tbilisi, 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: $687 in Tbilisi versus $368 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 $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $718 in Colombo versus $1,197 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 $718 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 67% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.