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: $486 in Sri Lanka versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $778 in Sri Lanka versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,070 in Sri Lanka versus $1,549 in China.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Sri Lanka 63% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 LKR 1,104

$2.77 ¥18.71

18.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.46 LKR 7,873

$24.05 ¥162

-2.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 LKR 2,237

$4.73 ¥31.91

41.01%

Cappuccino

$2.71 LKR 908

$3.08 ¥20.77

-12.01%

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

$0.74 LKR 247

$0.44 ¥2.99

68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LKR 122

$0.29 ¥1.98

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 LKR 773

$1.01 ¥6.80

127.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 LKR 1,156

$2.08 ¥14.02

65.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 LKR 561

$1.83 ¥12.38

-8.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 180

$1.62 ¥10.94

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 266

$0.97 ¥6.58

-18.56%

Eggs

$2.18 LKR 731

$1.61 ¥10.90

35.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 LKR 4,482

$13.34 ¥90.1

0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 LKR 1,645

$3.37 ¥22.74

45.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 LKR 2,641

$10.68 ¥72.1

-26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$7.17 LKR 2,407

$1.81 ¥12.25

296.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 339

$1.25 ¥8.43

-19.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.57 LKR 1,867

$1.46 ¥9.88

281.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 LKR 461

$1.15 ¥7.73

19.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 382

$0.73 ¥4.91

56.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 400

$0.89 ¥5.99

33.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 LKR 377

$0.60 ¥4.05

86.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LKR 184

$0.53 ¥3.58

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 LKR 3,393

$3.39 ¥22.91

198.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 LKR 4,047

$11.73 ¥79.2

2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 LKR 694

$0.77 ¥5.22

168.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 963

$1.63 ¥10.97

76.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 LKR 73.4

$0.41 ¥2.77

-46.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 LKR 1,708

$21.24 ¥143

-76.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 131

$1.35 ¥9.12

-71.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 118

$0.36 ¥2.40

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 LKR 160

$6.70 ¥45.23

-92.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 437

$1.18 ¥7.98

10.17%

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

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

35.60%

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

$37.5K LKR 12.6M

$16.5K ¥111.6K

126.73%

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

$47.56 LKR 16.0K

$51.7 ¥349

-8.08%

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

$4.56 LKR 1,531

$10.09 ¥68.1

-54.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.57 LKR 5,225

$11.38 ¥76.8

36.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.79 LKR 4,292

$39.24 ¥265

-67.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 LKR 2,081

$14.84 ¥100

-58.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 LKR 1,150

$6.30 ¥42.53

-45.56%

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

$36.51 LKR 12.2K

$414 ¥2,793

-91.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$438 LKR 147.1K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-97.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.24 LKR 9,139

$46.77 ¥316

-41.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.49 LKR 6,205

$33.08 ¥223

-44.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 LKR 21.2K

$70.9 ¥479

-10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

$74.5 ¥503

-50.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 LKR 89.9K

$440 ¥2,971

-39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 LKR 47.7K

$253 ¥1,706

-43.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 LKR 208.8K

$911 ¥6,150

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LKR 90.4K

$531 ¥3,582

-49.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 LKR 1.2M

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-24.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 LKR 361.9K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-55.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 LKR 69.6K

$1,058 ¥7,140

-80.39%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $55.0 in Sri Lanka, $287 in China. Capital cities: $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $191 in Sri Lanka, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 422% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 349% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $375 in Sri Lanka, there's a 133% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in China 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.

In Sri Lanka, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and 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.