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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $486 in Sri Lanka versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $778 in Sri Lanka versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,070 in Sri Lanka versus $846 in India.

Living in Sri Lanka is roughly 25% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Sri Lanka 64% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.26 LKR 1,095

$2.53 ₹244

28.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 LKR 7,748

$13.73 ₹1,322

67.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 LKR 2,296

$4.00 ₹385

70.75%

Cappuccino

$2.66 LKR 895

$1.91 ₹184

39.27%

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

$0.68 LKR 228

$0.43 ₹41.85

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LKR 122

$0.17 ₹16.11

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 LKR 795

$1.93 ₹186

22.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 LKR 1,114

$3.54 ₹341

-6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 LKR 562

$0.73 ₹69.9

128.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 LKR 184

$0.52 ₹50.1

5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 264

$0.73 ₹69.9

8.22%

Eggs

$2.16 LKR 727

$0.95 ₹91.4

127.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 LKR 4,383

$5.32 ₹512

145.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 LKR 1,587

$3.10 ₹299

52.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 LKR 2,545

Apples (1kg)

$7.19 LKR 2,414

$2.16 ₹208

232.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 345

$0.70 ₹67.7

47.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 LKR 1,857

$1.05 ₹101

426.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 LKR 464

$0.53 ₹50.8

160.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 371

$0.39 ₹37.66

184.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 LKR 406

$0.48 ₹46.64

152.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 LKR 398

$0.52 ₹49.78

126.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LKR 179

$0.36 ₹34.33

47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 LKR 3,357

$4.02 ₹387

148.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 LKR 4,047

$7.28 ₹701

65.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 LKR 690

$1.90 ₹183

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 LKR 938

$3.03 ₹292

-7.92%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 LKR 80.9

$0.36 ₹34.66

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.05 LKR 1,698

$9.84 ₹948

-48.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 138

$0.95 ₹91.8

-56.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 109

$0.30 ₹29.03

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 LKR 161

$1.79 ₹172

-73.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 LKR 434

$1.21 ₹117

6.61%

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

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

91.91%

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

$37.6K LKR 12.6M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

67.34%

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

$47.84 LKR 16.1K

$40.16 ₹3,867

19.12%

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

$4.46 LKR 1,498

$3.76 ₹362

18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.11 LKR 5,078

$8.04 ₹774

87.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.74 LKR 4,282

$16.25 ₹1,565

-21.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 LKR 2,084

$7.56 ₹728

-17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,104

$3.43 ₹330

-4.37%

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

$37.68 LKR 12.7K

$69.7 ₹6,713

-45.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$452 LKR 152.0K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

-75.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 LKR 9,309

$25.59 ₹2,463

8.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.10 LKR 6,419

$26.30 ₹2,532

-27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 LKR 21.5K

$44.89 ₹4,322

42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 LKR 12.3K

$33.20 ₹3,197

10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 LKR 90.2K

$174 ₹16.8K

53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 LKR 47.9K

$112 ₹10.8K

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 LKR 208.6K

$405 ₹39.0K

53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 LKR 90.6K

$258 ₹24.8K

4.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,655 LKR 1.2M

$1,263 ₹121.6K

189.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,094 LKR 367.7K

$653 ₹62.8K

67.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 LKR 70.8K

$424 ₹40.8K

-50.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

9.02

79.71%

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

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 14, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $55.0 in Sri Lanka, $127 in India. Capital cities: $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $191 in Sri Lanka, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 131% higher in India.

Dining out costs 73% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 108% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $589 per month in India and $377 in Sri Lanka, there's a 56% 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 India 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 India 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; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.