Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Colombo vs Yogyakarta

Colombo vs Yogyakarta

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Yogyakarta 38% cheaper Yogyakarta +11 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Colombo

Zoshua Colah/Unsplash

Yogyakarta

Dhio Gandhi/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,341

Colombo

$825

Yogyakarta

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Colombo

Moderate

Yogyakarta

Air Quality

5/5

Colombo

5/5

Yogyakarta

Healthcare

Moderate

Colombo

Moderate

Yogyakarta

Population

647.1k

Colombo

388.6k

Yogyakarta

Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Yogyakarta (Indonesia) 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 — Yogyakarta at $825/mo costs 38% less than Colombo at $1341/mo, adding up to $6192 over a year.

For families, Colombo costs $1421.559057348284/mo compared to Yogyakarta's $1172.573940454941/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Yogyakarta has a clear edge at 32 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Colombo's 21 Mbps (#165).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Colombo and Yogyakarta.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Colombo is March (around 38 degrees, 0mm rain, score 418), while Yogyakarta peaks in July (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 445). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

ColomboYogyakarta

Nomad$1,341/mo$825/mo

Expat$713/mo$532/mo

Local$406/mo$335/mo

Family$1,422/mo$1,173/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

ColomboYogyakarta

City Speed

21 Mbps#165

32 Mbps

Country Speed24 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

ColomboYogyakarta

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateModerate

ClimateModerateModerate

Humidity7879

Quality of Life

ColomboYogyakarta

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareModerateModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Colombo

Yogyakarta

Jan

36°

1mm402

36°

8mm265

Feb

39°

1mm405

38°

9mm352

Mar

38°

0mm418

38°

7mm265

Apr

39°

3mm361

38°

10mm281

May

37°

22mm197

37°

0mm421

Jun

35°

8mm158

37°

1mm416

Jul

35°

6mm197

35°

0mm445

Aug

34°

5mm197

35°

0mm432

Sep

34°

6mm220

36°

1mm435

Oct

34°

7mm166

37°

2mm343

Nov

35°

9mm274

38°

11mm281

Dec

35°

2mm381

36°

13mm235

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 Yogyakarta?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $825
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1172.573940454941/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 388.6k residents
Peak season in July — 35 degrees, score 445

Overall Verdict

The data favors Yogyakarta as the more well-rounded choice. At $825/mo versus Colombo's $1341/mo, that is a 38% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Colombo Yogyakarta

ItemColomboYogyakartaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$4.79$1.3

73%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$28.74$7.78

73%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.75$2.92

49%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.61$1.62

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.63$2.27

28%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.87$3.24

11%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.94$0.64

32%

Water (0.33L)$0.65$0.26

60%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1$1.22

18%

White bread (500g)$1.24$0.98

21%

White rice (1kg)$1.11$0.81

27%

Eggs (12)$1.8$1.34

26%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.87$2.4

38%

Beef round (1kg)$8.34$7.62

Local cheese (1kg)$8.21$7.7

Apples (1kg)$1.38$1.73

20%

Bananas (1kg)$0.88$1.18

25%

Oranges (1kg)$0.77$1.6

52%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.33$0.87

35%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.92$1.04

12%

Onions (1kg)$0.85$1.92

56%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.59$0.74

20%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.64$0.32

50%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.66$9.72

21%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.04$2.87

64%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.31$4.86

52%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$1.94$2.2

12%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.23

—

Monthly transport pass—$9.86

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.03$0.65

37%

Taxi per 1km$0.48$0.65

26%

Taxi 1hr waiting$4.6$3.08

33%

Gasoline (1L)$1.27$0.8

37%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$17,893.82$22,479.25

20%

Toyota Corolla (new)$25,752.36$28,257.87

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$64.4$45.37

30%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$22.36$24.36

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.2$0.02

90%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$36.46

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$4.86

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.94$2.92

51%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$275.89$70.22

75%

International primary school/yr$6,233.16$4,453.72

29%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$46.76$34.84

25%

Summer dress (chain store)$42.3$32.39

23%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$68.47$85.89

20%

Men's leather business shoes$53.5$82.1

35%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$226.87

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$151.24

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$885.86

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$379.84

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,296.38

—

Price per m², outside centre—$345.7

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$156.11

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.57$9.83

13%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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