😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Spain versus $487 in Sri Lanka.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,400 in Spain versus $780 in Sri Lanka.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $1,073 in Sri Lanka.
😐Living in Spain is roughly 238% more expensive than Sri Lanka on average.
📊Spain (23% above) and Sri Lanka (64% below) straddle the global median.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.01€13.70
$3.39LKR 1,080
372.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.0€50.5
$23.69LKR 7,554
148.97%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.26€8.79
$6.61LKR 2,107
55.22%
Cappuccino
$2.29€1.96
$2.60LKR 831
-11.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59€2.22
$0.73LKR 234
254.79%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81€1.55
$0.36LKR 115
402.78%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.53€3.02
$2.31LKR 737
52.81%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02€3.44
$3.26LKR 1,038
23.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.24€1.06
$1.68LKR 536
-26.19%
White Bread(500g)
$1.52€1.30
$0.58LKR 184
162.07%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.60€1.37
$0.81LKR 258
97.53%
Eggs
$2.98€2.55
$2.20LKR 703
35.45%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.49€12.41
$12.91LKR 4,116
12.24%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.37€7.16
$4.78LKR 1,524
75.10%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.94€13.65
$7.73LKR 2,465
106.21%
Apples(1kg)
$2.54€2.18
$7.18LKR 2,291
-64.62%
Banana(1kg)
$2.10€1.79
$0.97LKR 310
116.49%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.06€1.76
$5.82LKR 1,855
-64.60%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.64€2.26
$1.38LKR 442
91.30%
Potato(1kg)
$1.84€1.58
$1.11LKR 353
65.77%
Onion(1kg)
$1.91€1.64
$1.16LKR 369
64.66%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.33€1.14
$1.13LKR 362
17.70%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80€0.68
$0.57LKR 183
40.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.43€5.50
$10.14LKR 3,232
-36.59%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.82€4.99
$12.47LKR 3,978
-53.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24€1.06
$2.14LKR 682
-42.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11€1.81
$2.88LKR 919
-26.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.70€1.46
$0.24LKR 77.0
608.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$34.64€29.65
$4.89LKR 1,558
608.38%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.60€3.94
$0.38LKR 122
1110.53%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.35€1.15
$0.32LKR 103
321.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$27.00€23.11
$0.52LKR 166
5092.31%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.84€1.57
$1.26LKR 400
46.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K€32.8K
$26.3KLKR 8.4M
45.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K€26.7K
$37.3KLKR 11.9M
-16.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$151€129
$48.20LKR 15.4K
213.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.30€17.38
$4.61LKR 1,471
340.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.21€28.43
$15.35LKR 4,896
116.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$47.38€40.56
$12.99LKR 4,141
264.74%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.74€13.47
$6.02LKR 1,920
161.46%
Cinema Ticket
$9.06€7.76
$3.41LKR 1,087
165.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$523€447
$36.78LKR 11.7K
1321.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,978€8,541
$451LKR 143.9K
2111.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7€75.1
$26.95LKR 8,594
225.53%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.32€31.94
$18.59LKR 5,929
100.75%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$88.7€76.0
$64.6LKR 20.6K
37.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€91.0
$36.97LKR 11.8K
187.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,052€901
$272LKR 86.6K
287.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$809€692
$142LKR 45.1K
471.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,674€1,433
$609LKR 194.1K
175.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,213€1,038
$270LKR 86.1K
348.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,487€3,841
$3,459LKR 1.1M
29.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,733€2,339
$1,210LKR 386.0K
125.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Sri Lanka
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,111€1,807
$218LKR 69.5K
868.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.51
16.21
-78.35%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Spain: April 25, 2026
Última actualización para Sri Lanka: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $899 in Spain, $54.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $1,595 in Madrid vs $338 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
💰National salary averages: $2,010 in Spain, $196 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 1565% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 179% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 3200% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are 926% higher in Spain, giving Spain stronger purchasing power.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Spain vs Sri Lanka: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which country is more expensive to live in: Spain or Sri Lanka?
At $2,208 per month in Spain and $377 in Sri Lanka, there's a 486% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Spain or Sri Lanka?
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.
How do rents compare between Spain and Sri Lanka?
Rent in Spain 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.
How far does $1,200 go in Spain vs Sri Lanka?
In Sri Lanka, $1,200 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Spain and Sri Lanka?
It depends on what you're after. Sri Lanka wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.