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 $487 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $781 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,433 per month in Canada vs $1,074 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

Canada costs about 376% more than Sri Lanka on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 73% above the global median, while Sri Lanka is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 CA$26.22

$3.29 LKR 1,098

470.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$23.38 LKR 7,799

217.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$6.59 LKR 2,198

70.71%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.39

$2.65 LKR 882

45.66%

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

$2.19 CA$3.06

$0.68 LKR 226

222.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$0.40 LKR 132

322.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.32

$2.37 LKR 790

151.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$3.32 LKR 1,107

78.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$1.68 LKR 560

36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$0.58 LKR 194

375.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.03

$0.80 LKR 265

350.00%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.89

$2.17 LKR 724

61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$16.01

$13.06 LKR 4,355

-12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.30

$4.80 LKR 1,601

157.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.90

$7.75 LKR 2,586

93.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$6.95 LKR 2,317

-39.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$1.02 LKR 341

48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.45

$5.75 LKR 1,917

-32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.73

$1.33 LKR 442

209.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$1.10 LKR 367

153.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.15 LKR 385

127.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.13 LKR 378

135.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.53

$0.54 LKR 179

237.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.55

$10.13 LKR 3,379

45.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CA$17.98

$11.77 LKR 3,927

9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.21

$2.08 LKR 694

45.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.74

$2.94 LKR 981

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$0.24 LKR 80.2

979.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$109

$4.92 LKR 1,641

1488.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$0.42 LKR 140

747.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$0.35 LKR 118

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 CA$40.65

$0.49 LKR 163

5840.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.27 LKR 423

-7.87%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

-6.85%

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

$20.5K CA$28.6K

$37.4K LKR 12.5M

-45.11%

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

$154 CA$215

$47.24 LKR 15.8K

226.04%

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

$46.20 CA$64.5

$4.63 LKR 1,545

897.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$88.1

$15.18 LKR 5,063

315.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$59.9

$12.85 LKR 4,285

233.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.60

$6.03 LKR 2,010

192.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.00

$3.37 LKR 1,124

240.06%

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

$813 CA$1,136

$36.50 LKR 12.2K

2128.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$17.1K

$442 LKR 147.3K

2669.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$27.11 LKR 9,042

107.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 CA$57.8

$18.92 LKR 6,312

118.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 CA$124

$63.3 LKR 21.1K

40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$36.78 LKR 12.3K

189.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,927

$264 LKR 88.0K

422.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,651

$141 LKR 47.0K

739.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 CA$2,968

$614 LKR 204.8K

246.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,638

$271 LKR 90.4K

596.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,740

$3,660 LKR 1.2M

31.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 CA$5,441

$1,117 LKR 372.5K

248.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 CA$4,115

$207 LKR 69.1K

1323.37%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,279 in Canada vs $54.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $334 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $2,945 in Canada vs $190 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2269% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 258% more in Canada.

Public transport is 6400% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 1450% higher in Canada, giving Canada 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

Canada 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 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 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 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.