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

Name: Sri Lanka
Address: LK

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $486 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Canada vs $778 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,432 per month in Canada vs $1,070 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 377% higher than in Sri Lanka on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 74% above the global median, while Sri Lanka is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.38

$3.29 LKR 1,104

450.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$104

$23.46 LKR 7,873

214.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 CA$15.72

$6.67 LKR 2,237

68.22%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.30

$2.71 LKR 908

39.48%

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

$2.16 CA$3.03

$0.74 LKR 247

191.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$0.36 LKR 122

388.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.22

$2.30 LKR 773

155.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 CA$8.27

$3.44 LKR 1,156

71.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$1.67 LKR 561

31.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 CA$3.92

$0.54 LKR 180

416.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.10

$0.79 LKR 266

360.76%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.94

$2.18 LKR 731

61.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.02

$13.36 LKR 4,482

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 CA$17.53

$4.90 LKR 1,645

155.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 CA$21.04

$7.87 LKR 2,641

90.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.91

$7.17 LKR 2,407

-41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.01 LKR 339

41.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.52

$5.57 LKR 1,867

-29.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.81

$1.37 LKR 461

202.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$1.14 LKR 382

142.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$1.19 LKR 400

132.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$1.12 LKR 377

127.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.61

$0.55 LKR 184

238.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 CA$20.43

$10.11 LKR 3,393

44.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.23 CA$18.54

$12.06 LKR 4,047

9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.11

$2.07 LKR 694

42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.58

$2.87 LKR 963

13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$0.22 LKR 73.4

1086.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 CA$110

$5.09 LKR 1,708

1438.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 CA$4.92

$0.39 LKR 131

800.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$0.35 LKR 118

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.70 CA$40.22

$0.48 LKR 160

5879.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.30 LKR 437

-7.69%

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

$24.6K CA$34.5K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-8.11%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$37.5K LKR 12.6M

-45.18%

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

$155 CA$217

$47.56 LKR 16.0K

226.24%

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

$46.34 CA$64.9

$4.56 LKR 1,531

916.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 CA$89.0

$15.57 LKR 5,225

307.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 CA$60.1

$12.79 LKR 4,292

235.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 CA$25.04

$6.20 LKR 2,081

188.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.11

$3.43 LKR 1,150

235.28%

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

$815 CA$1,142

$36.51 LKR 12.2K

2132.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.9K

$438 LKR 147.1K

2643.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CA$78.0

$27.24 LKR 9,139

104.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 CA$59.6

$18.49 LKR 6,205

130.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 CA$124

$63.3 LKR 21.2K

39.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$151

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

191.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CA$1,866

$268 LKR 89.9K

396.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 CA$1,649

$142 LKR 47.7K

728.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,074

$622 LKR 208.8K

252.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 CA$2,645

$269 LKR 90.4K

600.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,592 CA$6,435

$3,617 LKR 1.2M

26.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 CA$5,332

$1,079 LKR 361.9K

252.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,913 CA$4,081

$207 LKR 69.6K

1304.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

16.21

-60.95%

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

Last update for Canada: July 25, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $55.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,468 in Ottawa and $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $2,911 in Canada vs $191 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2233% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 258% more in Canada.

Public transport is 6400% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 1424% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

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

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

Sri Lanka is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 494% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sri Lanka, contributing to the overall 494% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sri Lanka, but in Canada 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.