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 $3,217 per month in Australia vs $780 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,073 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

$16.24 A$22.73

$3.39 LKR 1,080

379.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$23.69 LKR 7,554

225.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$6.61 LKR 2,107

48.41%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$2.60 LKR 831

37.69%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.73 LKR 234

252.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$0.36 LKR 115

505.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$2.31 LKR 737

187.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$3.26 LKR 1,038

118.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.68 LKR 536

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$0.58 LKR 184

336.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$0.81 LKR 258

155.56%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$2.20 LKR 703

95.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$12.91 LKR 4,116

-33.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$4.78 LKR 1,524

74.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$7.73 LKR 2,465

79.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$7.18 LKR 2,291

-54.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$0.97 LKR 310

185.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$5.82 LKR 1,855

-49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$1.38 LKR 442

203.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$1.11 LKR 353

118.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$1.16 LKR 369

81.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$1.13 LKR 362

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.57 LKR 183

163.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$10.14 LKR 3,232

211.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$12.47 LKR 3,978

14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$2.14 LKR 682

114.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$2.88 LKR 919

67.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.24 LKR 77.0

1158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$4.89 LKR 1,558

1909.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$0.38 LKR 122

815.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$0.32 LKR 103

446.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$0.52 LKR 166

7201.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.26 LKR 400

-3.97%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$26.3K LKR 8.4M

10.57%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$37.3K LKR 11.9M

-39.52%

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

$177 A$248

$48.20 LKR 15.4K

267.95%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$4.61 LKR 1,471

482.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$15.35 LKR 4,896

241.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$12.99 LKR 4,141

266.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$6.02 LKR 1,920

173.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$3.41 LKR 1,087

302.64%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$36.78 LKR 11.7K

4232.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$451 LKR 143.9K

2716.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$26.95 LKR 8,594

167.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$18.59 LKR 5,929

175.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$64.6 LKR 20.6K

59.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$36.97 LKR 11.8K

193.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$272 LKR 86.6K

415.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$142 LKR 45.1K

663.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$609 LKR 194.1K

284.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$270 LKR 86.1K

550.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$3,459 LKR 1.1M

123.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$1,210 LKR 386.0K

359.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$218 LKR 69.5K

1735.08%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $54.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $338 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $196 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 1879% 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 485% 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 485% 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.