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

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $487 per month in Sri Lanka vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $781 per month in Sri Lanka vs $3,219 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,074 per month in Sri Lanka vs $4,253 in Australia, rent included.

Sri Lanka is roughly 78% cheaper than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Sri Lanka sits 64% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 LKR 1,098

$16.44 A$23.23

-79.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.38 LKR 7,799

$78.1 A$110

-70.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 LKR 2,198

$9.94 A$14.05

-33.70%

Cappuccino

$2.65 LKR 882

$3.60 A$5.08

-26.39%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$2.68 A$3.78

-74.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LKR 132

$2.14 A$3.02

-81.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 LKR 790

$6.53 A$9.23

-63.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 LKR 1,107

$7.05 A$9.96

-52.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 LKR 560

$1.58 A$2.23

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 194

$2.53 A$3.57

-77.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 265

$2.07 A$2.93

-61.35%

Eggs

$2.17 LKR 724

$4.30 A$6.08

-49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 LKR 4,355

$9.03 A$12.76

44.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 LKR 1,601

$8.55 A$12.08

-43.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 LKR 2,586

$13.96 A$19.72

-44.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.95 LKR 2,317

$3.18 A$4.49

118.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 341

$2.84 A$4.01

-64.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 LKR 1,917

$2.95 A$4.17

94.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 442

$4.43 A$6.26

-69.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 367

$2.46 A$3.47

-55.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 LKR 385

$2.17 A$3.07

-47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 LKR 378

$2.29 A$3.24

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 LKR 179

$1.57 A$2.22

-65.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,379

$30.87 A$43.61

-67.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 LKR 3,927

$14.06 A$19.86

-16.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 694

$4.55 A$6.43

-54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 981

$4.81 A$6.80

-38.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 LKR 80.2

$2.87 A$4.05

-91.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.92 LKR 1,641

$95.8 A$135

-94.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 LKR 140

$3.65 A$5.15

-88.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 118

$1.76 A$2.49

-80.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 LKR 163

$38.27 A$54.1

-98.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 423

$1.15 A$1.63

10.43%

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

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

$28.4K A$40.1K

-6.84%

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

$37.4K LKR 12.5M

$23.0K A$32.5K

62.40%

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

$47.24 LKR 15.8K

$178 A$251

-73.46%

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

$4.63 LKR 1,545

$26.46 A$37.38

-82.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.18 LKR 5,063

$54.1 A$76.4

-71.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.85 LKR 4,285

$46.64 A$65.9

-72.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 LKR 2,010

$16.54 A$23.37

-63.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 LKR 1,124

$13.65 A$19.28

-75.31%

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

$36.50 LKR 12.2K

$1,575 A$2,225

-97.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$442 LKR 147.3K

$12.7K A$17.9K

-96.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.11 LKR 9,042

$71.5 A$101

-62.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.92 LKR 6,312

$50.8 A$71.8

-62.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 LKR 21.1K

$100 A$142

-36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 LKR 12.3K

$108 A$153

-65.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 LKR 88.0K

$1,384 A$1,955

-80.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 LKR 47.0K

$1,105 A$1,562

-87.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 LKR 204.8K

$2,298 A$3,246

-73.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.4K

$1,728 A$2,441

-84.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,660 LKR 1.2M

$7,610 A$10.8K

-51.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 LKR 372.5K

$5,504 A$7,776

-79.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 LKR 69.1K

$4,002 A$5,654

-94.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

6.35

155.28%

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

Last update for Sri Lanka: June 7, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $54.0 in Sri Lanka vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $334 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $1,568 in Canberra.

Average salary: $190 in Sri Lanka vs $3,845 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2181% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 305% more in Australia.

Public transport is 6600% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1924% higher in Australia, giving Australia 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

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

Sri Lanka is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 490% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sri Lanka, contributing to the overall 490% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sri Lanka, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sri Lanka is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.