Cost of Living Comparison Between Vila Velha and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Vila Velha and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $843 in Vila Velha versus $733 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,337 in Vila Velha versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,831 in Vila Velha versus $1,598 in Colombo.

Living in Vila Velha is roughly 15% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vila Velha 37% lower, Colombo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.23 R$31.03

$4.08 LKR 1,301

52.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.67 R$143

$24.75 LKR 7,886

15.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 R$35.39

$8.12 LKR 2,589

-12.44%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$8.59

$2.74 LKR 873

-37.23%

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

$1.15 R$5.74

$0.68 LKR 216

69.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$2.97

$0.40 LKR 128

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 R$7.57

$2.28 LKR 725

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R$13.52

$3.28 LKR 1,046

-17.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 R$3.93

$1.75 LKR 559

-54.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 R$7.28

$0.56 LKR 180

160.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.23

$0.82 LKR 260

28.05%

Eggs

$1.66 R$8.29

$2.12 LKR 677

-21.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 R$37.21

$14.20 LKR 4,525

-47.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 R$18.23

$4.69 LKR 1,495

-21.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.14 R$30.60

$7.89 LKR 2,513

-22.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.19

$7.39 LKR 2,353

-72.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.15

$1.06 LKR 338

16.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.08

$5.68 LKR 1,810

-78.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.13

$1.22 LKR 389

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.75

$1.16 LKR 369

-0.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

$1.40 LKR 447

-7.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.30

$1.18 LKR 377

-61.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 R$2.64

$0.57 LKR 182

-7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 R$13.96

$9.90 LKR 3,156

-71.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 R$46.12

$12.46 LKR 3,970

-25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.48

$2.04 LKR 648

-55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 R$11.45

$2.83 LKR 903

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 R$4.10

$0.18 LKR 58.6

355.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 R$270

$5.09 LKR 1,621

966.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.23

$0.39 LKR 123

169.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.59

$0.35 LKR 112

105.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 R$18.65

$0.62 LKR 197

503.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.33

$1.19 LKR 380

-10.08%

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

$24.9K R$124.0K

$27.3K LKR 8.7M

-8.69%

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

$32.4K R$161.1K

$34.2K LKR 10.9M

-5.35%

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

$122 R$610

$60.9 LKR 19.4K

101.08%

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

$17.40 R$86.7

$4.38 LKR 1,397

297.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 R$83.9

$15.01 LKR 4,783

12.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.30 R$131

$14.68 LKR 4,678

79.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.80 R$109

$7.46 LKR 2,376

192.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 R$27.22

$3.44 LKR 1,095

58.72%

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

$418 R$2,084

$37.27 LKR 11.9K

1022.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,499 R$32.4K

$433 LKR 137.9K

1401.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.41 R$181

$28.07 LKR 8,943

29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 R$201

$19.31 LKR 6,152

109.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 R$268

$70.5 LKR 22.5K

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 R$319

$38.98 LKR 12.4K

64.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 R$1,460

$368 LKR 117.1K

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 R$1,073

$179 LKR 57.0K

20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 R$2,646

$970 LKR 309.0K

-45.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 R$2,375

$364 LKR 115.9K

31.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 R$10.3K

$3,591 LKR 1.1M

-42.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,049 R$10.2K

$1,225 LKR 390.3K

67.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 R$2,050

$241 LKR 76.6K

71.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.38

16.45

-36.90%

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

Last update for Vila Velha: April 26, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $293 in Vila Velha and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vila Velha pays 71% 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: $29.00 in Vila Velha vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $163 vs $255, with Vila Velha 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

Vila Velha vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Vila Velha. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Vila Velha pays 71% 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: $293 in Vila Velha versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Vila Velha pay roughly 57% 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 $29.00 in Vila Velha. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Colombo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $733 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Vila Velha. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.