Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sri Lanka Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sri Lanka

Name: Sri Lanka
Address: LK

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $487 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $781 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $1,074 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

Australia costs about 348% more than Sri Lanka on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Sri Lanka is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$3.29 LKR 1,098

399.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$23.38 LKR 7,799

234.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$6.59 LKR 2,198

50.83%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$2.65 LKR 882

35.85%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 A$3.78

$0.68 LKR 226

294.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$0.40 LKR 132

435.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$2.37 LKR 790

175.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$3.32 LKR 1,107

112.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.68 LKR 560

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$0.58 LKR 194

336.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$0.80 LKR 265

158.75%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$2.17 LKR 724

98.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$13.06 LKR 4,355

-30.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$4.80 LKR 1,601

78.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$7.75 LKR 2,586

80.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$6.95 LKR 2,317

-54.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$1.02 LKR 341

178.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$5.75 LKR 1,917

-48.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$1.33 LKR 442

233.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$1.10 LKR 367

123.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$1.15 LKR 385

88.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.13 LKR 378

102.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$0.54 LKR 179

190.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$10.13 LKR 3,379

204.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$11.77 LKR 3,927

19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$2.08 LKR 694

118.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$2.94 LKR 981

63.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$0.24 LKR 80.2

1095.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$4.92 LKR 1,641

1846.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$0.42 LKR 140

769.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$0.35 LKR 118

402.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$0.49 LKR 163

7710.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.27 LKR 423

-9.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.4K A$40.1K

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

7.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.0K A$32.5K

$37.4K LKR 12.5M

-38.42%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$178 A$251

$47.24 LKR 15.8K

276.76%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.46 A$37.38

$4.63 LKR 1,545

471.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$15.18 LKR 5,063

256.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$12.85 LKR 4,285

262.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$6.03 LKR 2,010

174.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$3.37 LKR 1,124

305.04%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,225

$36.50 LKR 12.2K

4214.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$442 LKR 147.3K

2775.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$27.11 LKR 9,042

163.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$18.92 LKR 6,312

168.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$63.3 LKR 21.1K

58.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$36.78 LKR 12.3K

194.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$264 LKR 88.0K

424.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$141 LKR 47.0K

684.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$614 LKR 204.8K

274.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$271 LKR 90.4K

537.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$3,660 LKR 1.2M

107.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$1,117 LKR 372.5K

392.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$207 LKR 69.1K

1832.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

16.21

-60.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $54.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $334 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $190 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2181% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 305% more in Australia.

Public transport is 6600% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1924% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Sri Lanka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Lanka is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 490% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sri Lanka, contributing to the overall 490% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sri Lanka, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sri Lanka is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.