Sri Lanka, Jan. 24 -- Colombo has been named the most difficult city on Earth for local residents to buy a home, according to the latest global data.
New figures from the 2026 Numbeo Property Investment Index reveal that Sri Lanka's commercial capital has a price-to-income ratio of 55.1. This is the highest among nearly 400 cities surveyed worldwide, making property in Colombo less accessible to its citizens than real estate in Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Mumbai.
The ratio suggests it would take more than 50 years of a household's entire income to buy an apartment. In comparison, Kathmandu follows with a ratio of 39.2, while Mumbai sits significantly lower at 33.3.
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