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

Name: Sri Lanka
Address: LK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $366 in India versus $465 in Sri Lanka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $581 in India versus $736 in Sri Lanka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $795 in India versus $1,007 in Sri Lanka.

Living in India costs about 21% less than in Sri Lanka on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 73% lower, Sri Lanka 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 ₹205

$2.92 LKR 959

-26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.42 ₹996

$19.61 LKR 6,442

-46.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 ₹343

$7.72 LKR 2,538

-53.50%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ₹160

$2.42 LKR 794

-30.99%

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

$0.39 ₹37.26

$0.66 LKR 217

-40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.92

$0.31 LKR 103

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹179

$2.32 LKR 762

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹304

$3.03 LKR 995

4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 ₹61.1

$1.59 LKR 523

-59.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₹42.66

$0.50 LKR 164

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.9

$0.76 LKR 249

-17.11%

Eggs

$0.87 ₹83.5

$1.68 LKR 552

-48.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 ₹442

$11.63 LKR 3,822

-60.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.86 ₹273

$4.31 LKR 1,415

-33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.97 LKR 2,289

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₹186

$5.77 LKR 1,897

-66.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₹64.3

$0.80 LKR 263

-16.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.3

$4.07 LKR 1,339

-75.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.45

$1.21 LKR 397

-57.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.23

$0.97 LKR 319

-63.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.69

$0.82 LKR 270

-48.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.87

$0.79 LKR 260

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$0.46 LKR 150

-32.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹491

$10.31 LKR 3,388

-50.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 ₹724

$12.18 LKR 4,001

-37.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹160

$1.95 LKR 640

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹266

$2.65 LKR 871

5.28%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.64

$0.16 LKR 53.1

56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.53 ₹815

$6.16 LKR 2,024

38.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 ₹89.4

$0.44 LKR 145

113.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$0.35 LKR 116

-22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹153

$0.93 LKR 307

72.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹107

$1.21 LKR 397

-7.44%

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

$12.4K ₹1.2M

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

-59.35%

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

$20.2K ₹1.9M

$39.8K LKR 13.1M

-49.38%

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

$37.28 ₹3,562

$48.47 LKR 15.9K

-23.09%

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

$3.49 ₹334

$4.20 LKR 1,380

-16.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.20 ₹688

$16.40 LKR 5,389

-56.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 ₹1,403

$13.28 LKR 4,365

10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.31 ₹698

$6.27 LKR 2,061

16.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 ₹294

$3.60 LKR 1,182

-14.44%

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

$59.1 ₹5,646

$35.76 LKR 11.8K

65.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,693 ₹161.8K

$579 LKR 190.4K

192.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.25 ₹2,221

$20.60 LKR 6,769

12.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.03 ₹2,296

$15.48 LKR 5,088

55.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.99 ₹3,917

$72.7 LKR 23.9K

-43.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.46 ₹2,911

$38.50 LKR 12.7K

-20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$143 ₹13.7K

$299 LKR 98.4K

-52.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.2 ₹8,902

$138 LKR 45.4K

-32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₹31.7K

$787 LKR 258.5K

-57.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.4K

$226 LKR 74.4K

-5.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,203 ₹115.0K

$3,647 LKR 1.2M

-67.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$643 ₹61.5K

$1,115 LKR 366.3K

-42.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 ₹42.1K

$215 LKR 70.7K

104.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

13.46

-33.66%

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

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $121 in India, $57.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $272 in Delhi vs $299 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

National salary averages: $410 in India, $204 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 112% higher in India.

Dining out costs 110% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 600% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 101% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

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

At $519 per month in India and $395 in Sri Lanka, there's a 32% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Sri Lanka: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in India is consistently higher than in Sri Lanka across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Sri Lanka, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in India it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Sri Lanka wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.