😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $487 in Sri Lanka.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Spain versus $781 in Sri Lanka.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $1,074 in Sri Lanka.
😐Living in Spain is roughly 237% more expensive than Sri Lanka on average.
📊Spain (22% above) and Sri Lanka (64% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.98€13.77
$3.29LKR 1,098
385.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.6€49.63
$23.38LKR 7,799
146.36%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.27€8.85
$6.59LKR 2,198
55.84%
Cappuccino
$2.38€2.05
$2.65LKR 882
-10.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58€2.22
$0.68LKR 226
279.41%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83€1.58
$0.40LKR 132
357.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.54€3.05
$2.37LKR 790
49.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09€3.52
$3.32LKR 1,107
23.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.22€1.05
$1.68LKR 560
-27.38%
White Bread(500g)
$1.53€1.31
$0.58LKR 194
163.79%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.60€1.38
$0.80LKR 265
100.00%
Eggs
$2.93€2.53
$2.17LKR 724
35.02%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.33€12.34
$13.06LKR 4,355
9.72%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.31€7.16
$4.80LKR 1,601
73.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.62€13.46
$7.75LKR 2,586
101.55%
Apples(1kg)
$2.53€2.18
$6.95LKR 2,317
-63.60%
Banana(1kg)
$1.99€1.72
$1.02LKR 341
95.10%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.11€1.82
$5.75LKR 1,917
-63.30%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.54€2.19
$1.33LKR 442
90.98%
Potato(1kg)
$1.77€1.52
$1.10LKR 367
60.91%
Onion(1kg)
$1.98€1.70
$1.15LKR 385
72.17%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.30€1.12
$1.13LKR 378
15.04%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74€0.64
$0.54LKR 179
37.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.19€5.33
$10.13LKR 3,379
-38.89%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.93€5.11
$11.77LKR 3,927
-49.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25€1.07
$2.08LKR 694
-39.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07€1.78
$2.94LKR 981
-29.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.78€1.53
$0.24LKR 80.2
641.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$34.91€30.08
$4.92LKR 1,641
609.55%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.48€3.86
$0.42LKR 140
966.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.34€1.15
$0.35LKR 118
282.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.24€22.61
$0.49LKR 163
5255.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.76€1.51
$1.27LKR 423
38.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K€32.9K
$26.4KLKR 8.8M
44.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K€27.3K
$37.4KLKR 12.5M
-15.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$149€128
$47.24LKR 15.8K
214.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.16€17.37
$4.63LKR 1,545
335.42%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11€29.39
$15.18LKR 5,063
124.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$47.12€40.60
$12.85LKR 4,285
266.69%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.83€13.64
$6.03LKR 2,010
162.52%
Cinema Ticket
$9.47€8.16
$3.37LKR 1,124
181.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$517€445
$36.50LKR 12.2K
1315.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.2K€8,752
$442LKR 147.3K
2200.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.2€75.1
$27.11LKR 9,042
221.50%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.36€32.19
$18.92LKR 6,312
97.46%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$91.3€78.7
$63.3LKR 21.1K
44.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€91.0
$36.78LKR 12.3K
187.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,074€925
$264LKR 88.0K
306.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$815€702
$141LKR 47.0K
478.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,691€1,457
$614LKR 204.8K
175.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,228€1,058
$271LKR 90.4K
353.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,338€3,738
$3,660LKR 1.2M
18.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,744€2,364
$1,117LKR 372.5K
145.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Sri Lanka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,031€1,750
$207LKR 69.1K
881.03%
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: June 9, 2026
Last update for Sri Lanka: June 7, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $54.0 in Sri Lanka. Capital cities: $1,609 in Madrid vs $334 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
💰National salary averages: $2,011 in Spain, $190 in Sri Lanka. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 1563% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 179% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 3200% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are 958% higher in Spain, giving Spain 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
Spain vs Sri Lanka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Spain or Sri Lanka?
At $2,191 per month in Spain and $376 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?
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.