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 $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $781 in Sri Lanka versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Sri Lanka versus $1,551 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

$3.29 LKR 1,098

$2.86 ¥19.36

15.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.38 LKR 7,799

$23.29 ¥158

0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 LKR 2,198

$4.83 ¥32.66

36.44%

Cappuccino

$2.65 LKR 882

$3.04 ¥20.52

-12.83%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.45 ¥3.03

51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 LKR 132

$0.27 ¥1.81

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 LKR 790

$0.99 ¥6.71

139.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 LKR 1,107

$2.03 ¥13.74

63.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 LKR 560

$1.75 ¥11.86

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 194

$1.67 ¥11.31

-65.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 265

$0.97 ¥6.56

-17.53%

Eggs

$2.17 LKR 724

$1.54 ¥10.45

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 LKR 4,355

$13.30 ¥89.9

-1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 LKR 1,601

$3.21 ¥21.69

49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 LKR 2,586

$10.79 ¥73.0

-28.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.95 LKR 2,317

$1.81 ¥12.27

283.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 341

$1.31 ¥8.84

-22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 LKR 1,917

$1.50 ¥10.15

283.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 442

$1.14 ¥7.74

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 367

$0.73 ¥4.90

50.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 LKR 385

$0.87 ¥5.86

32.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 LKR 378

$0.57 ¥3.85

98.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 LKR 179

$0.54 ¥3.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,379

$3.53 ¥23.88

186.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 LKR 3,927

$11.71 ¥79.2

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 694

$0.84 ¥5.67

147.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 981

$1.67 ¥11.29

76.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 LKR 80.2

$0.41 ¥2.75

-41.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.92 LKR 1,641

$20.78 ¥141

-76.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 LKR 140

$1.36 ¥9.21

-69.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 118

$0.33 ¥2.21

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 LKR 163

$6.86 ¥46.40

-92.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 423

$1.12 ¥7.57

13.39%

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

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

37.74%

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

$37.4K LKR 12.5M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

120.73%

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

$47.24 LKR 15.8K

$51.8 ¥350

-8.82%

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

$4.63 LKR 1,545

$9.85 ¥66.6

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.18 LKR 5,063

$11.13 ¥75.3

36.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.85 LKR 4,285

$39.10 ¥264

-67.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 LKR 2,010

$14.89 ¥101

-59.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 LKR 1,124

$6.25 ¥42.24

-46.08%

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

$36.50 LKR 12.2K

$404 ¥2,732

-90.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$442 LKR 147.3K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-97.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.11 LKR 9,042

$46.11 ¥312

-41.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.92 LKR 6,312

$32.27 ¥218

-41.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 LKR 21.1K

$72.7 ¥491

-12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 LKR 12.3K

$72.9 ¥493

-49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 LKR 88.0K

$445 ¥3,009

-40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 LKR 47.0K

$255 ¥1,727

-44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 LKR 204.8K

$927 ¥6,266

-33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.4K

$532 ¥3,600

-49.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,660 LKR 1.2M

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 LKR 372.5K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-55.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 LKR 69.1K

$1,057 ¥7,148

-80.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $54.0 in Sri Lanka, $286 in China. Capital cities: $334 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $190 in Sri Lanka, $862 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 354% 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 $871 per month in China and $376 in Sri Lanka, there's a 132% 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.