Colombo vs Taipei: cost of living for digital nomads

Colombo, Sri Lanka and Taipei, Taiwan, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Colombo is about 42% cheaper than Taipei for a month of nomad living ($1,050 vs $1,800).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $450 in Colombo against $800 in Taipei.
  • Taipei scores higher on safety (9/10 vs 7/10).
  • Internet is faster in Taipei: 150 Mbps typical against 40 Mbps.
  • Both have a tropical climate.

Colombo wins 5 of the measured lines; Taipei wins 3.

LineColomboTaipei
Monthly total (USD)$1,050$1,800
Rent$450$800
Food$300$450
Transport$40$70
Coworking$90$150
Safety (out of 10)7/109/10
Internet (Mbps)40150
Climatetropicaltropical
City sizemetrometro
Settingcoastinland
Nomad score (out of 10)7/108/10

Compare Colombo with

Compare Taipei with

Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.