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: $388 in India versus $486 in Sri Lanka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $778 in Sri Lanka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,070 in Sri Lanka.

Living in India costs about 20% less than in Sri Lanka on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Sri Lanka 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ₹244

$3.26 LKR 1,095

-22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 ₹1,321

$23.06 LKR 7,748

-40.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₹385

$6.83 LKR 2,296

-41.43%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₹184

$2.66 LKR 895

-28.20%

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

$0.43 ₹41.85

$0.68 LKR 228

-36.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.11

$0.36 LKR 122

-52.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

$2.37 LKR 795

-18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

$3.31 LKR 1,114

6.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.67 LKR 562

-56.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$0.55 LKR 184

-5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$0.79 LKR 264

-7.59%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.4

$2.16 LKR 727

-56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 ₹512

$13.05 LKR 4,383

-59.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ₹299

$4.72 LKR 1,587

-34.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 LKR 2,545

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹208

$7.19 LKR 2,414

-69.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹67.7

$1.03 LKR 345

-32.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹101

$5.53 LKR 1,857

-81.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.8

$1.38 LKR 464

-61.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.65

$1.11 LKR 371

-64.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.63

$1.21 LKR 406

-60.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.78

$1.18 LKR 398

-55.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₹34.33

$0.53 LKR 179

-32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹387

$9.99 LKR 3,357

-59.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹701

$12.05 LKR 4,047

-39.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹183

$2.05 LKR 690

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹292

$2.79 LKR 938

8.60%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.66

$0.24 LKR 80.9

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹948

$5.05 LKR 1,698

94.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹91.8

$0.41 LKR 138

131.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.03

$0.33 LKR 109

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₹172

$0.48 LKR 161

272.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₹117

$1.29 LKR 434

-6.20%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

-47.89%

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

$22.4K ₹2.2M

$37.6K LKR 12.6M

-40.24%

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

$40.16 ₹3,866

$47.84 LKR 16.1K

-16.05%

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

$3.76 ₹362

$4.46 LKR 1,498

-15.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹774

$15.11 LKR 5,078

-46.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.25 ₹1,565

$12.74 LKR 4,282

27.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 ₹728

$6.20 LKR 2,084

21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₹330

$3.28 LKR 1,104

4.57%

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

$69.7 ₹6,713

$37.68 LKR 12.7K

85.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹178.3K

$452 LKR 152.0K

309.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.59 ₹2,463

$27.71 LKR 9,309

-7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₹2,531

$19.10 LKR 6,419

37.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 ₹4,321

$64.0 LKR 21.5K

-29.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.20 ₹3,196

$36.62 LKR 12.3K

-9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.8K

$268 LKR 90.2K

-35.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₹10.8K

$142 LKR 47.9K

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹38.9K

$621 LKR 208.6K

-34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₹24.8K

$270 LKR 90.6K

-4.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₹121.6K

$3,655 LKR 1.2M

-65.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 ₹62.8K

$1,094 LKR 367.7K

-40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 ₹40.8K

$211 LKR 70.8K

101.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

16.21

-44.36%

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

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $55.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $191 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 131% higher in India.

Dining out costs 73% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 108% 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 $589 per month in India and $377 in Sri Lanka, there's a 56% 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.