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

Name: Sri Lanka
Address: LK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Pakistan versus $465 in Sri Lanka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $678 in Pakistan versus $736 in Sri Lanka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $905 in Pakistan versus $1,007 in Sri Lanka.

Living in Pakistan costs about 3% less than in Sri Lanka on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Pakistan 67% lower, Sri Lanka 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 PKR 581

$2.92 LKR 959

-28.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.51 PKR 4,021

$19.61 LKR 6,442

-26.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,533

$7.72 LKR 2,538

-28.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 594

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PKR 1,120

Cappuccino

$2.04 PKR 564

$2.42 LKR 794

-15.70%

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

$0.38 PKR 105

$0.66 LKR 217

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.7

$0.31 LKR 103

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 LKR 762

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 995

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 PKR 235

$1.59 LKR 523

-46.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 PKR 174

$0.50 LKR 164

26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 339

$0.76 LKR 249

60.53%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.68 LKR 552

-27.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.79 PKR 1,603

$11.63 LKR 3,822

-50.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 PKR 803

$4.31 LKR 1,415

-32.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.08 PKR 1,407

$6.97 LKR 2,289

-27.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PKR 313

$5.77 LKR 1,897

-80.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 191

$0.80 LKR 263

-13.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 232

$4.07 LKR 1,339

-79.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 PKR 159

$1.21 LKR 397

-52.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.0

$0.97 LKR 319

-64.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.82 LKR 270

-48.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.79 LKR 260

-56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.46 LKR 150

-10.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.04 PKR 566

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 PKR 299

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 644

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 594

$10.31 LKR 3,388

-79.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 LKR 4,001

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 640

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 LKR 871

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.48

$0.16 LKR 53.1

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.87 PKR 2,736

$6.16 LKR 2,024

60.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 PKR 252

$0.44 LKR 145

106.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.35 LKR 116

48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 PKR 601

$0.93 LKR 307

133.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.21 LKR 397

0.83%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

-40.20%

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

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

$39.8K LKR 13.1M

-36.14%

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

$108 PKR 30.0K

$48.47 LKR 15.9K

123.50%

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

$5.35 PKR 1,481

$4.20 LKR 1,380

27.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.67 PKR 4,340

$16.40 LKR 5,389

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.93 PKR 4,412

$13.28 LKR 4,365

19.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 PKR 2,964

$6.27 LKR 2,061

70.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 PKR 1,222

$3.60 LKR 1,182

22.50%

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

$42.68 PKR 11.8K

$35.76 LKR 11.8K

19.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,343 PKR 372.0K

$579 LKR 190.4K

131.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.94 PKR 4,417

$20.60 LKR 6,769

-22.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.78 PKR 6,589

$15.48 LKR 5,088

53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

$72.7 LKR 23.9K

8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.79 PKR 9,361

$38.50 LKR 12.7K

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$299 LKR 98.4K

-55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.9 PKR 21.6K

$138 LKR 45.4K

-43.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 PKR 85.5K

$787 LKR 258.5K

-60.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 PKR 47.7K

$226 LKR 74.4K

-23.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 PKR 281.8K

$3,647 LKR 1.2M

-72.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 PKR 144.5K

$1,115 LKR 366.3K

-53.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$215 LKR 70.7K

-14.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.96

13.46

3.71%

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

Last update for Pakistan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $122 in Pakistan, $57.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $270 in Islamabad vs $299 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

National salary averages: $181 in Pakistan, $204 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 114% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 62% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in Pakistan.

Salaries are 13% higher in Sri Lanka.

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

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

At $450 per month in Pakistan and $395 in Sri Lanka, there's a 14% 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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan 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; Pakistan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.