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: $485 in Sri Lanka versus $392 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $780 in Sri Lanka versus $591 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,075 in Sri Lanka versus $790 in Pakistan.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 LKR 1,117

$1.82 PKR 506

85.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.64 LKR 7,839

$12.25 PKR 3,409

92.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 LKR 2,285

$4.27 PKR 1,188

61.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 PKR 500

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 PKR 1,136

Cappuccino

$2.67 LKR 886

$1.77 PKR 493

50.85%

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

$0.73 LKR 243

$0.34 PKR 93.3

114.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.23 PKR 64.2

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 LKR 769

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 LKR 1,098

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 LKR 549

$0.77 PKR 214

115.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 179

$0.56 PKR 155

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$1.22 PKR 340

-35.25%

Eggs

$2.18 LKR 723

$1.21 PKR 337

80.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 LKR 4,285

$5.68 PKR 1,579

127.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 LKR 1,653

$3.00 PKR 835

66.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 LKR 2,589

$4.29 PKR 1,193

82.05%

Apples (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,407

$1.02 PKR 284

611.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 335

$0.62 PKR 174

62.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.74 LKR 1,905

$0.77 PKR 213

645.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 443

$0.49 PKR 138

173.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 LKR 360

$0.35 PKR 98.2

211.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 LKR 387

$0.48 PKR 134

143.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 LKR 387

$0.38 PKR 106

207.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 LKR 180

$0.36 PKR 99.7

50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.91 PKR 532

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 PKR 304

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 PKR 557

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 LKR 3,316

$1.96 PKR 546

410.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 LKR 3,953

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 LKR 687

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 966

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 LKR 72.8

$0.15 PKR 42.98

46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.89 LKR 1,621

$7.14 PKR 1,987

-31.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.85 PKR 237

-51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 118

$0.51 PKR 143

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 LKR 169

$1.81 PKR 503

-71.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 LKR 433

$0.90 PKR 249

45.56%

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

$26.7K LKR 8.8M

$17.4K PKR 4.8M

53.08%

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

$38.7K LKR 12.8M

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

61.37%

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

$46.85 LKR 15.5K

$110 PKR 30.7K

-57.52%

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

$4.48 LKR 1,486

$4.72 PKR 1,313

-5.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.57 LKR 5,162

$15.34 PKR 4,268

1.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.73 LKR 4,222

$13.40 PKR 3,728

-5.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.18 LKR 2,051

$8.53 PKR 2,374

-27.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 LKR 1,117

$4.31 PKR 1,199

-21.81%

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

$36.68 LKR 12.2K

$38.86 PKR 10.8K

-5.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$440 LKR 146.0K

$1,143 PKR 318.1K

-61.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.34 LKR 9,066

$15.81 PKR 4,398

72.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 LKR 6,304

$23.47 PKR 6,529

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.1 LKR 21.6K

$72.0 PKR 20.0K

-9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 LKR 12.1K

$33.27 PKR 9,255

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 LKR 89.1K

$111 PKR 30.9K

142.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 LKR 46.0K

$67.3 PKR 18.7K

106.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 LKR 206.1K

$272 PKR 75.7K

128.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 LKR 90.1K

$167 PKR 46.5K

62.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,686 LKR 1.2M

$983 PKR 273.4K

275.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,132 LKR 375.5K

$519 PKR 144.4K

118.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$212 LKR 70.1K

$185 PKR 51.5K

14.33%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $55.0 in Sri Lanka, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $198 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $193 in Sri Lanka, $187 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 $408 per month in Pakistan and $367 in Sri Lanka, there's a 11% 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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan, 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; Pakistan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.