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 $485 in Sri Lanka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $780 in Sri Lanka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,075 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

$2.49 ₹237

$3.37 LKR 1,117

-26.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.20 ₹1,353

$23.64 LKR 7,839

-39.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 ₹379

$6.89 LKR 2,285

-42.24%

Cappuccino

$1.88 ₹179

$2.67 LKR 886

-29.59%

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

$0.44 ₹41.98

$0.73 LKR 243

-39.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹18.57

$0.39 LKR 131

-51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹192

$2.32 LKR 769

-12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₹329

$3.31 LKR 1,098

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹68.3

$1.66 LKR 549

-56.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.26

$0.54 LKR 179

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.7

$0.79 LKR 263

-8.86%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.8

$2.18 LKR 723

-57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 ₹499

$12.92 LKR 4,285

-59.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ₹292

$4.98 LKR 1,653

-38.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 LKR 2,589

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹207

$7.26 LKR 2,407

-70.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$1.01 LKR 335

-24.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹100

$5.74 LKR 1,905

-81.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$1.34 LKR 443

-60.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.53

$1.09 LKR 360

-64.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.81

$1.17 LKR 387

-58.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.35

$1.17 LKR 387

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹31.13

$0.54 LKR 180

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ₹386

$10.00 LKR 3,316

-59.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ₹704

$11.92 LKR 3,953

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₹175

$2.07 LKR 687

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₹277

$2.91 LKR 966

-0.34%

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

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.59

$0.22 LKR 72.8

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ₹928

$4.89 LKR 1,621

99.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹90.6

$0.41 LKR 136

131.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.64

$0.36 LKR 118

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 ₹165

$0.51 LKR 169

239.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₹117

$1.31 LKR 433

-6.11%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$26.7K LKR 8.8M

-48.08%

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

$22.6K ₹2.2M

$38.7K LKR 12.8M

-41.64%

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

$40.88 ₹3,894

$46.85 LKR 15.5K

-12.74%

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

$3.91 ₹372

$4.48 LKR 1,486

-12.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.81 ₹744

$15.57 LKR 5,162

-49.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.15 ₹1,538

$12.73 LKR 4,222

26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.49 ₹713

$6.18 LKR 2,051

21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 ₹326

$3.37 LKR 1,117

1.48%

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

$69.9 ₹6,660

$36.68 LKR 12.2K

90.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,793 ₹170.8K

$440 LKR 146.0K

307.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.83 ₹2,460

$27.34 LKR 9,066

-5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.61 ₹2,535

$19.01 LKR 6,304

39.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.24 ₹4,309

$65.1 LKR 21.6K

-30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.68 ₹3,208

$36.62 LKR 12.1K

-8.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₹17.0K

$269 LKR 89.1K

-33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹10.9K

$139 LKR 46.0K

-17.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₹38.8K

$622 LKR 206.1K

-34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.1K

$272 LKR 90.1K

-2.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,240 ₹118.1K

$3,686 LKR 1.2M

-66.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$631 ₹60.1K

$1,132 LKR 375.5K

-44.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ₹41.2K

$212 LKR 70.1K

104.28%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $55.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $239 in Delhi vs $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $193 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 106% higher in India, giving India 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

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

At $576 per month in India and $367 in Sri Lanka, there's a 57% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Sri Lanka is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.