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 $2,323 per month in Canada vs $487 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $780 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Canada vs $1,073 in Sri Lanka, rent included.

Canada costs about 377% 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

$18.33 CA$25.11

$3.39 LKR 1,080

440.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$99.2

$23.69 LKR 7,554

205.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 CA$14.89

$6.61 LKR 2,107

64.45%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.10

$2.60 LKR 831

43.08%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$0.73 LKR 234

187.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$0.36 LKR 115

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.20

$2.31 LKR 737

159.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 CA$7.85

$3.26 LKR 1,038

75.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.68 LKR 536

32.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.83

$0.58 LKR 184

382.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.02

$0.81 LKR 258

351.85%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$2.20 LKR 703

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.53

$12.91 LKR 4,116

-12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 CA$17.16

$4.78 LKR 1,524

161.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 CA$20.75

$7.73 LKR 2,465

95.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.83

$7.18 LKR 2,291

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.07

$0.97 LKR 310

55.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.42

$5.82 LKR 1,855

-31.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.75

$1.38 LKR 442

203.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$1.11 LKR 353

147.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$1.16 LKR 369

135.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.52

$1.13 LKR 362

127.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.56

$0.57 LKR 183

228.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.67 CA$20.10

$10.14 LKR 3,232

44.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CA$18.15

$12.47 LKR 3,978

6.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$2.14 LKR 682

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$2.88 LKR 919

15.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.61

$0.24 LKR 77.0

1000.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 CA$106

$4.89 LKR 1,558

1488.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 CA$4.61

$0.38 LKR 122

786.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$0.32 LKR 103

359.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.78 CA$39.43

$0.52 LKR 166

5434.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.57

$1.26 LKR 400

-8.73%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$26.3K LKR 8.4M

-5.10%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$37.3K LKR 11.9M

-45.56%

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

$156 CA$214

$48.20 LKR 15.4K

224.00%

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

$46.08 CA$63.1

$4.61 LKR 1,471

899.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 CA$85.4

$15.35 LKR 4,896

306.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 CA$60.3

$12.99 LKR 4,141

238.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 CA$24.56

$6.02 LKR 1,920

197.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 CA$15.66

$3.41 LKR 1,087

235.19%

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

$815 CA$1,117

$36.78 LKR 11.7K

2115.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CA$16.8K

$451 LKR 143.9K

2616.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CA$76.6

$26.95 LKR 8,594

107.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 CA$56.9

$18.59 LKR 5,929

123.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 CA$122

$64.6 LKR 20.6K

37.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$150

$36.97 LKR 11.8K

195.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,890

$272 LKR 86.6K

407.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,661

$142 LKR 45.1K

756.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 CA$2,960

$609 LKR 194.1K

254.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 CA$2,556

$270 LKR 86.1K

590.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 CA$6,847

$3,459 LKR 1.1M

44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,001 CA$5,481

$1,210 LKR 386.0K

230.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,031 CA$4,153

$218 LKR 69.5K

1290.67%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,283 in Canada vs $54.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,475 in Ottawa and $338 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Average salary: $3,008 in Canada vs $196 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2276% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 258% more in Canada.

Public transport is 6500% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 1435% 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.