Cost of Living Comparison Between Xiamen and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Xiamen and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $831 in Xiamen versus $805 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,348 in Xiamen versus $1,206 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Xiamen versus $1,607 in Colombo.

Living in Xiamen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Xiamen 39% lower, Colombo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.87

$4.36 LKR 1,444

-31.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.87 ¥160

$25.64 LKR 8,489

-6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.11

$7.51 LKR 2,486

-32.22%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.37

$2.57 LKR 852

-5.06%

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

$0.45 ¥3.04

$0.69 LKR 228

-34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.27 LKR 89.7

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$2.23 LKR 739

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ¥19.97

$3.07 LKR 1,015

-2.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥10.10

$1.61 LKR 535

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 ¥15.76

$0.57 LKR 189

312.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$0.78 LKR 259

20.51%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.73

$1.65 LKR 546

-3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 ¥79.2

$13.07 LKR 4,327

-9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 ¥16.17

$5.05 LKR 1,672

-52.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 ¥78.8

$7.12 LKR 2,359

65.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ¥17.77

$6.96 LKR 2,306

-61.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.62

$0.82 LKR 272

75.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.70

$4.31 LKR 1,427

-62.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.23 LKR 408

60.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$1.00 LKR 331

1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ¥11.77

$0.81 LKR 267

117.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.94 LKR 310

-2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$0.46 LKR 152

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$10.14 LKR 3,357

-70.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ¥75.7

$13.53 LKR 4,479

-16.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.61

$1.91 LKR 633

-56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$2.85 LKR 944

-37.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ¥0.98

$0.17 LKR 55.6

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.12 ¥81.2

$7.05 LKR 2,335

71.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.88

$0.38 LKR 127

286.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.37 LKR 123

-21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.72

$0.88 LKR 292

693.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$1.35 LKR 447

-10.37%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

-48.63%

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

$17.7K ¥118.3K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-56.77%

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

$43.59 ¥292

$55.6 LKR 18.4K

-21.54%

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

$8.48 ¥56.8

$4.17 LKR 1,382

103.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.45 ¥70.0

$20.52 LKR 6,793

-49.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.61 ¥319

$14.69 LKR 4,864

224.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 ¥70.8

$5.82 LKR 1,926

81.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 ¥68.4

$4.54 LKR 1,503

124.89%

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

$498 ¥3,332

$38.14 LKR 12.6K

1204.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K ¥160.3K

$1,226 LKR 406.0K

1850.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.62 ¥259

$19.94 LKR 6,601

93.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.36 ¥190

$16.86 LKR 5,583

68.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥689

$80.6 LKR 26.7K

27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 ¥571

$42.33 LKR 14.0K

101.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 ¥2,323

$601 LKR 198.9K

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,749

$268 LKR 88.7K

-2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ¥5,475

$1,486 LKR 491.8K

-44.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥3,671

$432 LKR 143.0K

26.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,370 ¥56.1K

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

124.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,746 ¥31.8K

$1,192 LKR 394.8K

298.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,157 ¥7,750

$250 LKR 82.9K

362.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

12.69

-72.73%

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

Last update for Xiamen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Colombo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $347 in Xiamen and $601 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xiamen pays 362% 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: $24.00 in Xiamen vs $26.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $237 per month, with Xiamen cheaper across the board.

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

Xiamen vs Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Xiamen. 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 362% higher in Xiamen, 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: $347 in Xiamen versus $601 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Xiamen pay roughly 9% 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 $26.00 versus $24.00 in Xiamen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $805 in Colombo versus $831 in Xiamen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Xiamen. 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 $805 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 3% less than in Xiamen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.