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: $391 in Pakistan versus $486 in Sri Lanka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $592 in Pakistan versus $778 in Sri Lanka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in Pakistan versus $1,070 in Sri Lanka.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 PKR 503

$3.26 LKR 1,095

-44.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.15 PKR 3,375

$23.06 LKR 7,748

-47.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.29 PKR 1,190

$6.83 LKR 2,296

-37.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 485

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PKR 1,106

Cappuccino

$1.74 PKR 482

$2.66 LKR 895

-34.59%

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

$0.36 PKR 100

$0.68 LKR 228

-47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.3

$0.36 LKR 122

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 LKR 795

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 LKR 1,114

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 PKR 216

$1.67 LKR 562

-53.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.55 LKR 184

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 337

$0.79 LKR 264

53.16%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 334

$2.16 LKR 727

-44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 PKR 1,579

$13.05 LKR 4,383

-56.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 PKR 789

$4.72 LKR 1,587

-39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.09 PKR 1,135

$7.57 LKR 2,545

-45.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 279

$7.19 LKR 2,414

-86.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 PKR 170

$1.03 LKR 345

-40.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 PKR 212

$5.53 LKR 1,857

-86.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$1.38 LKR 464

-62.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.11 LKR 371

-65.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 143

$1.21 LKR 406

-57.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.18 LKR 398

-67.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 PKR 98.8

$0.53 LKR 179

-32.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.01 PKR 559

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 PKR 304

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 PKR 578

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 PKR 545

$9.99 LKR 3,357

-80.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 LKR 4,047

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 LKR 690

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 LKR 938

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 56.1

$0.24 LKR 80.9

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.24 PKR 2,011

$5.05 LKR 1,698

43.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 PKR 232

$0.41 LKR 138

104.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.33 LKR 109

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 PKR 496

$0.48 LKR 161

272.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 PKR 248

$1.29 LKR 434

-31.01%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

-33.03%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

$37.6K LKR 12.6M

-36.78%

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

$110 PKR 30.5K

$47.84 LKR 16.1K

129.72%

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

$4.58 PKR 1,270

$4.46 LKR 1,498

2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.58 PKR 4,326

$15.11 LKR 5,078

3.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.28 PKR 3,687

$12.74 LKR 4,282

4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 PKR 2,456

$6.20 LKR 2,084

42.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 PKR 1,148

$3.28 LKR 1,104

25.91%

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

$39.62 PKR 11.0K

$37.68 LKR 12.7K

5.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,170 PKR 324.9K

$452 LKR 152.0K

158.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.59 PKR 4,330

$27.71 LKR 9,309

-43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 PKR 6,601

$19.10 LKR 6,419

24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 PKR 20.0K

$64.0 LKR 21.5K

12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.15 PKR 8,928

$36.62 LKR 12.3K

-12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 PKR 31.9K

$268 LKR 90.2K

-57.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.3 PKR 18.4K

$142 LKR 47.9K

-53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 PKR 76.1K

$621 LKR 208.6K

-55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 PKR 45.2K

$270 LKR 90.6K

-39.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$965 PKR 268.0K

$3,655 LKR 1.2M

-73.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 PKR 139.4K

$1,094 LKR 367.7K

-54.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 PKR 51.6K

$211 LKR 70.8K

-11.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.97

16.21

17.03%

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

Last update for Pakistan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $78.0 in Pakistan, $55.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $199 in Islamabad vs $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

National salary averages: $181 in Pakistan, $191 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 42% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 73% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 600% more expensive in Pakistan.

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 $410 per month in Pakistan and $377 in Sri Lanka, there's a 9% 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.