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 $2,181 per month in Australia vs $486 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $778 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,070 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 349% higher than in Sri Lanka on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.66

$3.29 LKR 1,104

385.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$23.46 LKR 7,873

236.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.74

$6.67 LKR 2,237

45.13%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.08

$2.71 LKR 908

32.10%

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

$2.56 A$3.64

$0.74 LKR 247

245.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.36 LKR 122

516.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

$2.30 LKR 773

175.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

$3.44 LKR 1,156

102.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.67 LKR 561

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$0.54 LKR 180

368.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.83

$0.79 LKR 266

153.16%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.05

$2.18 LKR 731

95.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.42

$13.36 LKR 4,482

-34.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$4.90 LKR 1,645

67.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.08

$7.87 LKR 2,641

79.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$7.17 LKR 2,407

-54.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.01 LKR 339

178.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$5.57 LKR 1,867

-46.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$1.37 LKR 461

214.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.14 LKR 382

123.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.19 LKR 400

81.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.12 LKR 377

98.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$0.55 LKR 184

178.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.38

$10.11 LKR 3,393

209.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

$12.06 LKR 4,047

16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

$2.07 LKR 694

114.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

$2.87 LKR 963

70.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.19

$0.22 LKR 73.4

1240.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$136

$5.09 LKR 1,708

1784.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.95

$0.39 LKR 131

794.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.61

$0.35 LKR 118

425.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$52.9

$0.48 LKR 160

7662.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$1.30 LKR 437

-10.00%

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

$28.7K A$40.8K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

7.26%

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

$22.5K A$31.9K

$37.5K LKR 12.6M

-40.08%

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

$173 A$246

$47.56 LKR 16.0K

264.51%

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

$26.62 A$37.77

$4.56 LKR 1,531

483.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.3

$15.57 LKR 5,225

240.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$66.4

$12.79 LKR 4,292

266.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.25

$6.20 LKR 2,081

164.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.24

$3.43 LKR 1,150

295.34%

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

$1,571 A$2,229

$36.51 LKR 12.2K

4202.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.9K

$438 LKR 147.1K

2773.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$102

$27.24 LKR 9,139

164.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$73.2

$18.49 LKR 6,205

179.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$63.3 LKR 21.2K

59.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

192.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,984

$268 LKR 89.9K

421.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,541

$142 LKR 47.7K

663.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,223

$622 LKR 208.8K

265.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,485

$269 LKR 90.4K

549.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.3K

$3,617 LKR 1.2M

119.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,483

$1,079 LKR 361.9K

454.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,751

$207 LKR 69.6K

1854.34%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $55.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $191 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2136% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 305% more in Australia.

Public transport is 6600% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1894% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 486% 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 486% 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.