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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $486 in Sri Lanka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,392 in Spain versus $778 in Sri Lanka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Spain versus $1,070 in Sri Lanka.

Living in Spain is roughly 238% more expensive than in Sri Lanka on average.

Spain (23% above) and Sri Lanka (63% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.06 €13.91
$3.29 LKR 1,104
388.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.9 €49.24
$23.46 LKR 7,873
142.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.30 €8.92
$6.67 LKR 2,237
54.42%
Cappuccino
$2.32 €2.01
$2.71 LKR 908
-14.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 €2.26
$0.74 LKR 247
251.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 €1.59
$0.36 LKR 122
411.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 €2.97
$2.30 LKR 773
49.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 €3.44
$3.44 LKR 1,156
15.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 €1.03
$1.67 LKR 561
-28.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 €1.32
$0.54 LKR 180
181.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.45
$0.79 LKR 266
111.39%
Eggs
$2.98 €2.58
$2.18 LKR 731
36.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.42 €12.49
$13.36 LKR 4,482
7.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 €7.44
$4.90 LKR 1,645
75.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.95 €13.81
$7.87 LKR 2,641
102.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.51 €2.17
$7.17 LKR 2,407
-64.99%
Banana (1kg)
$2.07 €1.80
$1.01 LKR 339
104.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 €1.77
$5.57 LKR 1,867
-63.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.28
$1.37 LKR 461
92.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 €1.52
$1.14 LKR 382
54.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.98 €1.71
$1.19 LKR 400
66.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.17
$1.12 LKR 377
20.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.64
$0.55 LKR 184
34.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.27 €5.43
$10.11 LKR 3,393
-37.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.75 €4.98
$12.06 LKR 4,047
-52.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.13
$2.07 LKR 694
-37.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.78
$2.87 LKR 963
-28.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 €1.53
$0.22 LKR 73.4
704.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.49 €29.87
$5.09 LKR 1,708
577.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.49 €3.89
$0.39 LKR 131
1051.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 €1.15
$0.35 LKR 118
277.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.12 €23.48
$0.48 LKR 160
5550.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.56
$1.30 LKR 437
38.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K €33.1K
$26.8K LKR 9.0M
42.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.8K €26.7K
$37.5K LKR 12.6M
-17.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €129
$47.56 LKR 16.0K
212.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.14 €17.44
$4.56 LKR 1,531
341.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.50 €29.01
$15.57 LKR 5,225
115.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.30 €40.10
$12.79 LKR 4,292
262.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.61 €13.52
$6.20 LKR 2,081
151.77%
Cinema Ticket
$9.40 €8.14
$3.43 LKR 1,150
174.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 €452
$36.51 LKR 12.2K
1330.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,880 €8,556
$438 LKR 147.1K
2153.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.1 €76.3
$27.24 LKR 9,139
223.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.98 €31.16
$18.49 LKR 6,205
94.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.0 €77.1
$63.3 LKR 21.2K
40.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €93.6
$36.93 LKR 12.4K
192.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 €900
$268 LKR 89.9K
287.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$820 €710
$142 LKR 47.7K
476.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 €1,462
$622 LKR 208.8K
171.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,214 €1,051
$269 LKR 90.4K
350.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,301 €3,725
$3,617 LKR 1.2M
18.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,604 €2,255
$1,079 LKR 361.9K
141.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,982 €1,716
$207 LKR 69.6K
855.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.51
16.21
-78.35%

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

Last update for Spain: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $55.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $1,561 in Madrid vs $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

National salary averages: $1,989 in Spain, $191 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1533% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 179% more in Spain.

Public transport is 3200% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 941% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

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
Spain vs Sri Lanka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Spain or Sri Lanka?
At $2,188 per month in Spain and $375 in Sri Lanka, there's a 483% 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?
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.
How do rents compare between Spain and Sri Lanka?
Rent in Spain 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.
How far does $1,200 go in Spain compared to Sri Lanka?
In Sri Lanka, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and 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 in 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.

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