Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sri Lanka

Name: Sri Lanka
Address: LK

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Lanka: $608 a month against $2,537 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Sri Lanka
Learn more

Sri Lanka Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,537

/mo nomad

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Sri Lanka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Sri Lanka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,537 per month in Australia vs $608 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

Australia $2,537
Sri Lanka $608

A couple spends around $3,682 per month in Australia vs $963 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

Australia $3,682
Sri Lanka $963

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Australia vs $1,319 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

Australia $4,828
Sri Lanka $1,319

The cost of living in Australia is about 317% higher than in Sri Lanka on average.

Australia sits 89% above the global median, while Sri Lanka is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.27

$2.76 LKR 913

539.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 A$118

$19.14 LKR 6,333

332.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 A$16.05

$7.39 LKR 2,446

51.83%

Cappuccino

$3.85 A$5.51

$2.32 LKR 767

65.95%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$0.66 LKR 217

331.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.39

$0.29 LKR 95.5

717.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.23

$2.33 LKR 769

236.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 A$12.16

$3.05 LKR 1,009

178.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.49

$1.59 LKR 527

9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.98

$0.49 LKR 161

467.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.16

$0.70 LKR 230

215.71%

Eggs

$5.06 A$7.25

$1.62 LKR 537

212.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.12

$12.02 LKR 3,976

-17.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 A$12.80

$4.25 LKR 1,406

110.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 A$21.06

$7.37 LKR 2,439

99.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.39

$5.61 LKR 1,857

-32.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.28

$0.78 LKR 257

283.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$4.44 LKR 1,467

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 A$6.61

$1.26 LKR 416

266.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.03

$0.94 LKR 310

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$0.83 LKR 273

177.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.32

$0.81 LKR 268

186.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 A$2.44

$0.47 LKR 157

263.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.17 A$54.6

$9.95 LKR 3,291

283.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.70

$11.98 LKR 3,962

14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.02

$1.92 LKR 635

155.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 A$7.19

$2.65 LKR 878

89.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$4.07

$0.19 LKR 62.8

1394.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 A$135

$5.95 LKR 1,970

1484.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 A$4.92

$0.46 LKR 154

647.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$0.34 LKR 114

367.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.37 A$56.3

$0.95 LKR 315

4044.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.88

$1.27 LKR 420

3.15%

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

$27.7K A$39.7K

$30.0K LKR 9.9M

-7.63%

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

$28.1K A$40.2K

$40.3K LKR 13.3M

-30.26%

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

$201 A$288

$46.21 LKR 15.3K

335.25%

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

$28.45 A$40.72

$4.00 LKR 1,324

611.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 A$82.2

$16.77 LKR 5,547

242.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.1

$12.28 LKR 4,063

361.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 A$27.60

$6.36 LKR 2,104

203.14%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 A$21.56

$3.73 LKR 1,233

304.02%

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

$2,116 A$3,028

$35.47 LKR 11.7K

5865.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$581 LKR 192.1K

3045.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$20.41 LKR 6,752

289.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.5

$15.50 LKR 5,129

253.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$72.7 LKR 24.0K

54.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$37.40 LKR 12.4K

226.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 A$2,264

$309 LKR 102.2K

412.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 A$1,753

$139 LKR 46.0K

781.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,409 A$3,447

$765 LKR 253.2K

214.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 A$2,734

$243 LKR 80.4K

685.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,995 A$11.4K

$3,632 LKR 1.2M

120.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,541

$1,134 LKR 375.1K

426.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,926 A$5,619

$216 LKR 71.5K

1717.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

13.46

-56.02%

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

Last update for Australia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48%

Sri Lanka

$139 22.7% 88.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.5%

Sri Lanka

$219 35.7% 40.9% $151

Eating Out

Australia

$298 11.7%

Sri Lanka

$94 15.3% 68.6% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$287 11.3%

Sri Lanka

$67 10.9% 76.7% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

Sri Lanka

$66 10.7% 60.4% $100

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Sri Lanka

$8.9 1.5% 92.4% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

Sri Lanka

$20 3.2% 77.3% $67

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,371 in Australia vs $57.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,711 in Canberra and $302 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $3,856 in Australia vs $201 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2305% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 315% more in Australia.

Public transport is 7500% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1818% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

20:18 8:18 PM

5 h 30 min behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

21,444,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Sri Lanka 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Sri Lanka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 317% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,371 versus $57.0 in Sri Lanka.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Sri Lanka, adding to the overall 317% price gap.

$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.