Bangkok vs Colombo Cost of Living
Bangkok (Thailand) · Overall index 36.1 — Colombo (Sri Lanka) · Overall index 23.5
Summary
- Overall, Colombo is 35% cheaper than Bangkok.
- Rent in Colombo is 48% cheaper than in Bangkok.
- Dining out in Colombo is 37% cheaper than in Bangkok.
| Item | Bangkok | Colombo | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -48% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $785 | $401 | -49% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $630 | $294 | -53% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,512 | $907 | -40% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $551 | -48% |
| Groceries | -33% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.61 | $0.38 | -38% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.14 | $1.33 | -38% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.56 | $1.53 | -40% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.53 | $1.65 | -35% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.93 | $4.78 | -31% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.15 | $3.8 | -38% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.3 | $6.4 | -38% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.84 | $1.9 | -33% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.93 | $0.76 | -18% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.4 | $1.47 | -39% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.38 | $1.65 | -31% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.38 | $1.03 | -25% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.39 | $1.03 | -26% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.2 | $0.9 | -25% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $0.77 | -37% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.66 | $5.1 | -33% |
| Transport | -36% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.01 | $0.73 | -28% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $44.6 | $29.1 | -35% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.59 | $1.08 | -32% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.81 | $0.46 | -43% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.23 | -38% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,133 | $6,291 | -38% |
| Dining out | -37% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.84 | $5.91 | -33% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $47.5 | $33.3 | -30% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.21 | $3.2 | -39% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $1.39 | -35% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.11 | $0.62 | -44% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.3 | $1.91 | -42% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.74 | $2.12 | -43% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.78 | $0.57 | -27% |
| Telecom | -24% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $33.4 | $24.2 | -28% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $37.1 | $28.7 | -23% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.14 | -26% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.29 | $6.7 | -19% |
| Utilities & household | -30% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $81.5 | $60.9 | -25% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.09 | $0.07 | -22% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.32 | $1.62 | -30% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.67 | $0.44 | -34% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.8 | $7.6 | -30% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $37.2 | $28.4 | -24% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.95 | $4.67 | -41% |
| Men's haircut | $15.5 | $10.3 | -34% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.7 | $9.02 | -29% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $991 | $699 | -29% |
3,349 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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