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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $487 in Sri Lanka versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $780 in Sri Lanka versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,073 in Sri Lanka versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Sri Lanka costs about 32% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Sri Lanka 64% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 LKR 1,079

$2.75 ¥18.83

23.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.69 LKR 7,546

$24.03 ¥165

-1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 LKR 2,105

$4.96 ¥33.95

33.27%

Cappuccino

$2.60 LKR 830

$3.12 ¥21.37

-16.67%

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

$0.73 LKR 234

$0.48 ¥3.26

52.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LKR 115

$0.27 ¥1.84

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 LKR 736

$0.98 ¥6.73

135.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 LKR 1,037

$2.15 ¥14.69

51.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 LKR 535

$1.83 ¥12.53

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 184

$1.68 ¥11.54

-65.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 257

$0.91 ¥6.21

-10.99%

Eggs

$2.20 LKR 702

$1.56 ¥10.66

41.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 LKR 4,112

$12.97 ¥88.9

-0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,522

$3.25 ¥22.23

47.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 LKR 2,462

$10.51 ¥72.0

-26.45%

Apples (1kg)

$7.18 LKR 2,289

$1.81 ¥12.41

296.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 310

$1.30 ¥8.90

-25.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.82 LKR 1,853

$1.50 ¥10.26

288.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 LKR 441

$1.15 ¥7.87

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 353

$0.76 ¥5.20

46.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 369

$0.89 ¥6.07

30.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 LKR 361

$0.58 ¥3.97

94.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 LKR 182

$0.58 ¥3.95

-1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,229

$3.50 ¥23.95

189.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 LKR 3,974

$11.55 ¥79.1

7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 LKR 682

$0.78 ¥5.31

174.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 918

$1.61 ¥11.03

78.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 LKR 76.9

$0.44 ¥3.01

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.89 LKR 1,557

$21.15 ¥145

-76.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 121

$1.36 ¥9.35

-72.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 103

$0.36 ¥2.44

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 LKR 166

$6.61 ¥45.28

-92.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 400

$1.13 ¥7.74

11.50%

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

$26.3K LKR 8.4M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

33.00%

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

$37.3K LKR 11.9M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

118.43%

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

$48.20 LKR 15.4K

$50.9 ¥349

-5.32%

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

$4.61 LKR 1,469

$10.03 ¥68.7

-54.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.35 LKR 4,891

$11.33 ¥77.6

35.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.99 LKR 4,137

$40.13 ¥275

-67.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.02 LKR 1,918

$14.97 ¥103

-59.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 LKR 1,086

$6.09 ¥41.74

-44.01%

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

$36.78 LKR 11.7K

$418 ¥2,860

-91.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$451 LKR 143.7K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-97.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 LKR 8,586

$46.40 ¥318

-41.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.59 LKR 5,923

$32.92 ¥226

-43.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 LKR 20.6K

$71.1 ¥487

-9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.97 LKR 11.8K

$72.9 ¥499

-49.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 LKR 86.5K

$438 ¥3,003

-38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 LKR 45.1K

$259 ¥1,775

-45.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 LKR 193.9K

$926 ¥6,341

-34.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 LKR 86.1K

$548 ¥3,754

-50.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 LKR 1.1M

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-31.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,210 LKR 385.6K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-54.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$218 LKR 69.4K

$1,074 ¥7,357

-79.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

4.06

299.26%

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

Last update for Sri Lanka: April 26, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $54.0 in Sri Lanka, $286 in China. Capital cities: $338 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $196 in Sri Lanka, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 430% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 326% higher in China, giving China 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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $377 in Sri Lanka, there's a 131% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in China 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.

In Sri Lanka, $1,200 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but 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; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.