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

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $465 in Sri Lanka versus $450 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $736 in Sri Lanka versus $678 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,007 in Sri Lanka versus $905 in Pakistan.

Living in Sri Lanka is roughly 3% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Sri Lanka 66% lower, Pakistan 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 LKR 959

$2.10 PKR 581

39.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 LKR 6,442

$14.51 PKR 4,021

35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 LKR 2,538

$5.53 PKR 1,533

39.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 594

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PKR 1,120

Cappuccino

$2.42 LKR 794

$2.04 PKR 564

18.63%

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

$0.66 LKR 217

$0.38 PKR 105

73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.24 PKR 66.7

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 LKR 762

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 995

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 LKR 523

$0.85 PKR 235

87.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 LKR 164

$0.63 PKR 174

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 249

$1.22 PKR 339

-37.70%

Eggs

$1.68 LKR 552

$1.22 PKR 337

37.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 LKR 3,822

$5.79 PKR 1,603

100.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 LKR 1,415

$2.90 PKR 803

48.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.97 LKR 2,289

$5.08 PKR 1,407

37.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.77 LKR 1,897

$1.13 PKR 313

410.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 263

$0.69 PKR 191

15.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 LKR 1,339

$0.84 PKR 232

384.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 LKR 397

$0.57 PKR 159

112.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 319

$0.34 PKR 95.0

185.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$0.42 PKR 116

95.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 LKR 260

$0.34 PKR 95.1

132.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 150

$0.41 PKR 113

12.20%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.04 PKR 566

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 PKR 299

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 644

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 LKR 3,388

$2.14 PKR 594

381.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 LKR 4,001

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 640

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 LKR 871

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.1

$0.18 PKR 48.48

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.16 LKR 2,024

$9.87 PKR 2,736

-37.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 LKR 145

$0.91 PKR 252

-51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.52 PKR 144

-32.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 307

$2.17 PKR 601

-57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 397

$1.22 PKR 337

-0.82%

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

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

67.23%

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

$39.8K LKR 13.1M

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

56.59%

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

$48.47 LKR 15.9K

$108 PKR 30.0K

-55.26%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,380

$5.35 PKR 1,481

-21.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 LKR 5,389

$15.67 PKR 4,340

4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.28 LKR 4,365

$15.93 PKR 4,412

-16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.27 LKR 2,061

$10.70 PKR 2,964

-41.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.60 LKR 1,182

$4.41 PKR 1,222

-18.37%

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

$35.76 LKR 11.8K

$42.68 PKR 11.8K

-16.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$579 LKR 190.4K

$1,343 PKR 372.0K

-56.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.60 LKR 6,769

$15.94 PKR 4,417

29.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.48 LKR 5,088

$23.78 PKR 6,589

-34.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 LKR 23.9K

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

-7.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.50 LKR 12.7K

$33.79 PKR 9,361

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 LKR 98.4K

$134 PKR 37.1K

123.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.4K

$77.9 PKR 21.6K

77.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 LKR 258.5K

$309 PKR 85.5K

154.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 LKR 74.4K

$172 PKR 47.7K

31.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,647 LKR 1.2M

$1,017 PKR 281.8K

258.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 LKR 366.3K

$522 PKR 144.5K

113.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 LKR 70.7K

$185 PKR 51.2K

16.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.46

13.96

-3.58%

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

Last update for Sri Lanka: September 6, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $57.0 in Sri Lanka, $122 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $299 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $270 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $204 in Sri Lanka, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 114% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 62% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in Pakistan.

Salaries are 13% higher in Sri Lanka.

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $450 per month in Pakistan and $395 in Sri Lanka, there's a 14% 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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan 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; Pakistan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.