Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Colombo vs Lucknow

Colombo vs Lucknow

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lucknow 38% cheaper Lucknow +40 Mbps Moderate / N/A

Colombo

Zoshua Colah/Unsplash

Lucknow

Rhythmic Creations/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,341

Colombo

$830

Lucknow

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Colombo

N/A

Lucknow

Air Quality

5/5

Colombo

5/5

Lucknow

Healthcare

Moderate

Colombo

N/A

Lucknow

Population

647.1k

Colombo

2.9m

Lucknow

Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Lucknow (India) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

The monthly savings are substantial — Lucknow at $830/mo costs 38% less than Colombo at $1341/mo, adding up to $6132 over a year.

For families, Colombo costs $1421.559057348284/mo compared to Lucknow's $668.408773077319/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lucknow has a clear edge at 61 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Colombo's 21 Mbps (#165).

Quality of Life

Both Colombo and Lucknow share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Colombo and Lucknow.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Colombo is March (around 38 degrees, 0mm rain, score 418), while Lucknow peaks in February (23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

ColomboLucknow

Nomad$1,341/mo$830/mo

Expat$713/mo$484/mo

Local$406/mo$191/mo

Family$1,422/mo$668/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

ColomboLucknow

City Speed

21 Mbps#165

61 Mbps

Country Speed24 Mbps61 Mbps

Environment & Health

ColomboLucknow

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateN/A

ClimateModerateN/A

Humidity7818

Quality of Life

ColomboLucknow

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareModerateN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Colombo

Lucknow

Jan

36°

1mm402

19°

0mm335

Feb

39°

1mm405

23°

0mm375

Mar

38°

0mm418

30°

0mm375

Apr

39°

3mm361

38°

0mm325

May

37°

22mm197

42°

0mm315

Jun

35°

8mm158

44°

0mm315

Jul

35°

6mm197

40°

6mm191

Aug

34°

5mm197

38°

7mm196

Sep

34°

6mm220

37°

2mm303

Oct

34°

7mm166

36°

0mm375

Nov

35°

9mm274

29°

0mm375

Dec

35°

2mm381

22°

0mm355

Who Should Choose Colombo?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1341
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1421.559057348284/mo for families
Peak season in March — 38 degrees, score 418

Who Should Choose Lucknow?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $830
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $668.408773077319/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.9m residents
Peak season in February — 23 degrees, score 375

Overall Verdict

The data favors Colombo as the more well-rounded choice. At $1341/mo versus Lucknow's $830/mo, that is a 38% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Colombo Lucknow

ItemColomboLucknowDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$4.79$3.07

36%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$28.74$12.28

57%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.75$3.07

47%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.61$1.57

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.63$1.84

11%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.87$3.68

22%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.94$0.35

63%

Water (0.33L)$0.65$0.18

72%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1$0.68

32%

White bread (500g)$1.24$0.45

64%

White rice (1kg)$1.11$0.71

36%

Eggs (12)$1.8$1.03

43%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.87$3.48

10%

Beef round (1kg)$8.34$6.52

22%

Local cheese (1kg)$8.21$3.96

52%

Apples (1kg)$1.38$1.49

Bananas (1kg)$0.88$0.58

34%

Oranges (1kg)$0.77$0.82

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.33$0.43

68%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.92$0.25

73%

Onions (1kg)$0.85$0.35

59%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.59$0.43

27%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.64$0.35

45%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.66$6.14

20%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.04$1.81

43%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.31$3.39

32%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$1.94$4.05

52%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.43

—

Monthly transport pass—$12.28

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.03$0.61

41%

Taxi per 1km$0.48$0.15

69%

Taxi 1hr waiting$4.6$1.23

73%

Gasoline (1L)$1.27$1.25

Volkswagen Golf (new)$17,893.82$14,738.11

18%

Toyota Corolla (new)$25,752.36$24,393.62

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$64.4$47.83

26%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$22.36$8.66

61%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.2$0.02

90%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$19.96

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$10.23

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.94$3.68

38%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$275.89$51.34

81%

International primary school/yr$6,233.16$1,271.16

80%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$46.76$27.55

41%

Summer dress (chain store)$42.3$34.39

19%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$68.47$40.91

40%

Men's leather business shoes$53.5$38.92

27%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$122.82

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$77.99

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$305.51

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$180.13

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,067.19

—

Price per m², outside centre—$599.7

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$569.74

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.57$8.47

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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