Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Lanka and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Lanka and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $486 per month in Sri Lanka vs $2,365 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $778 per month in Sri Lanka vs $3,470 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,070 per month in Sri Lanka vs $4,575 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Sri Lanka is roughly 79% lower than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Sri Lanka sits 63% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 78% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 LKR 1,104

$20.15 £14.94

-83.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.46 LKR 7,873

$88.5 £65.6

-73.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 LKR 2,237

$10.33 £7.66

-35.43%

Cappuccino

$2.71 LKR 908

$4.53 £3.36

-40.18%

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

$0.74 LKR 247

$2.38 £1.76

-68.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LKR 122

$1.70 £1.26

-78.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 LKR 773

$6.61 £4.90

-65.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 LKR 1,156

$6.24 £4.62

-44.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 LKR 561

$1.64 £1.22

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 180

$1.67 £1.23

-67.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 266

$2.22 £1.65

-64.41%

Eggs

$2.18 LKR 731

$3.98 £2.95

-45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 LKR 4,482

$9.60 £7.11

39.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 LKR 1,645

$9.15 £6.78

-46.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 LKR 2,641

$13.94 £10.33

-43.54%

Apples (1kg)

$7.17 LKR 2,407

$2.94 £2.18

143.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 339

$1.67 £1.24

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.57 LKR 1,867

$2.85 £2.12

95.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 LKR 461

$3.44 £2.55

-60.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 382

$1.70 £1.26

-32.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 400

$1.61 £1.19

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 LKR 377

$1.12 £0.83

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LKR 184

$1.52 £1.13

-63.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 LKR 3,393

$20.60 £15.27

-50.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 LKR 4,047

$10.60 £7.86

13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 LKR 694

$2.87 £2.13

-27.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 963

$3.27 £2.43

-12.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 LKR 73.4

$3.23 £2.40

-93.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 LKR 1,708

$93.3 £69.1

-94.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 131

$5.28 £3.91

-92.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 118

$1.52 £1.13

-76.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 LKR 160

$26.79 £19.85

-98.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 437

$1.98 £1.47

-34.34%

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

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

$37.9K £28.1K

-29.29%

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

$37.5K LKR 12.6M

$40.6K £30.1K

-7.59%

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

$47.56 LKR 16.0K

$325 £241

-85.38%

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

$4.56 LKR 1,531

$17.63 £13.07

-74.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.57 LKR 5,225

$42.17 £31.26

-63.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.79 LKR 4,292

$45.93 £34.04

-72.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 LKR 2,081

$15.86 £11.76

-60.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 LKR 1,150

$13.36 £9.91

-74.33%

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

$36.51 LKR 12.2K

$1,736 £1,287

-97.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$438 LKR 147.1K

$21.3K £15.8K

-97.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.24 LKR 9,139

$90.8 £67.3

-69.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.49 LKR 6,205

$45.24 £33.53

-59.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 LKR 21.2K

$102 £75.9

-38.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

$102 £75.5

-63.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 LKR 89.9K

$1,412 £1,047

-81.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 LKR 47.7K

$1,122 £832

-87.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 LKR 208.8K

$2,367 £1,754

-73.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LKR 90.4K

$1,827 £1,354

-85.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 LKR 1.2M

$5,662 £4,196

-36.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 LKR 361.9K

$4,424 £3,279

-75.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 LKR 69.6K

$3,238 £2,400

-93.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

5.75

181.91%

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

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 26, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $55.0 in Sri Lanka vs $1,266 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $3,021 in London.

Average salary: $191 in Sri Lanka vs $3,174 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2202% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 342% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 9100% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1562% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Lanka is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 641% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sri Lanka, contributing to the overall 641% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sri Lanka, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sri Lanka is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.