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: $486 in Sri Lanka versus $391 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $778 in Sri Lanka versus $592 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,070 in Sri Lanka versus $792 in Pakistan.

Living in Sri Lanka is roughly 24% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.26 LKR 1,095

$1.81 PKR 502

80.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 LKR 7,748

$12.15 PKR 3,370

89.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 LKR 2,296

$4.29 PKR 1,189

59.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 484

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PKR 1,105

Cappuccino

$2.66 LKR 895

$1.74 PKR 482

52.87%

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

$0.68 LKR 228

$0.36 PKR 100

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LKR 122

$0.21 PKR 58.2

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 LKR 795

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 LKR 1,114

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 LKR 562

$0.78 PKR 215

114.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 LKR 184

$0.56 PKR 154

-1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 264

$1.21 PKR 337

-34.71%

Eggs

$2.16 LKR 727

$1.20 PKR 334

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 LKR 4,383

$5.69 PKR 1,577

129.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 LKR 1,587

$2.84 PKR 788

66.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 LKR 2,545

$4.09 PKR 1,133

85.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.19 LKR 2,414

$1.00 PKR 278

619.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 345

$0.61 PKR 170

68.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 LKR 1,857

$0.76 PKR 211

627.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 LKR 464

$0.52 PKR 145

165.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 371

$0.38 PKR 106

192.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 LKR 406

$0.51 PKR 143

137.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 LKR 398

$0.38 PKR 106

210.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LKR 179

$0.36 PKR 98.7

47.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.01 PKR 558

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 PKR 304

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 PKR 578

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 LKR 3,357

$1.96 PKR 544

409.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 LKR 4,047

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 LKR 690

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 LKR 938

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 LKR 80.9

$0.20 PKR 56.1

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.05 LKR 1,698

$7.24 PKR 2,008

-30.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 138

$0.84 PKR 232

-51.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 109

$0.52 PKR 145

-36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 LKR 161

$1.79 PKR 496

-73.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 LKR 434

$0.89 PKR 248

44.94%

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

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

49.33%

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

$37.6K LKR 12.6M

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

58.18%

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

$47.84 LKR 16.1K

$110 PKR 30.5K

-56.47%

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

$4.46 LKR 1,498

$4.58 PKR 1,269

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.11 LKR 5,078

$15.58 PKR 4,320

-3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.74 LKR 4,282

$13.28 PKR 3,682

-4.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 LKR 2,084

$8.84 PKR 2,453

-29.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,104

$4.13 PKR 1,147

-20.58%

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

$37.68 LKR 12.7K

$39.62 PKR 11.0K

-4.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$452 LKR 152.0K

$1,170 PKR 324.5K

-61.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 LKR 9,309

$15.59 PKR 4,324

77.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.10 LKR 6,419

$23.77 PKR 6,593

-19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 LKR 21.5K

$71.9 PKR 19.9K

-10.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 LKR 12.3K

$32.15 PKR 8,916

13.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 LKR 90.2K

$115 PKR 31.9K

133.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 LKR 47.9K

$66.3 PKR 18.4K

114.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 LKR 208.6K

$274 PKR 76.1K

126.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 LKR 90.6K

$163 PKR 45.1K

65.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,655 LKR 1.2M

$965 PKR 267.7K

278.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,094 LKR 367.7K

$502 PKR 139.2K

117.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 LKR 70.8K

$186 PKR 51.5K

13.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

18.97

-14.55%

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

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $55.0 in Sri Lanka, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $199 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $191 in Sri Lanka, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 42% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 73% more in Sri Lanka.

Public transport is 600% more expensive in Pakistan.

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 $410 per month in Pakistan and $377 in Sri Lanka, there's a 9% 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.