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 $487 per month in Sri Lanka vs $2,360 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $780 per month in Sri Lanka vs $3,471 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,073 per month in Sri Lanka vs $4,581 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Sri Lanka is roughly 79% cheaper than United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Sri Lanka sits 64% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 LKR 1,079

$20.50 £15.17

-83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.69 LKR 7,546

$89.6 £66.3

-73.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 LKR 2,105

$10.05 £7.44

-34.23%

Cappuccino

$2.60 LKR 830

$4.53 £3.35

-42.60%

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

$0.73 LKR 234

$2.47 £1.83

-70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 LKR 115

$1.70 £1.25

-78.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 LKR 736

$6.61 £4.89

-65.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 LKR 1,037

$6.48 £4.80

-49.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 LKR 535

$1.64 £1.21

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 184

$1.70 £1.26

-65.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 257

$2.20 £1.63

-63.18%

Eggs

$2.20 LKR 702

$3.98 £2.94

-44.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 LKR 4,112

$9.62 £7.12

34.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,522

$9.02 £6.67

-47.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 LKR 2,462

$14.00 £10.36

-44.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.18 LKR 2,289

$3.07 £2.27

133.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 310

$1.61 £1.19

-39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.82 LKR 1,853

$2.82 £2.09

106.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 LKR 441

$3.58 £2.65

-61.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 353

$1.61 £1.19

-31.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 369

$1.52 £1.13

-23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 LKR 361

$1.16 £0.86

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 LKR 182

$1.50 £1.11

-62.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,229

$20.28 £15.01

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 LKR 3,974

$10.76 £7.96

15.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 LKR 682

$2.90 £2.14

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 918

$3.27 £2.42

-11.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 LKR 76.9

$3.25 £2.40

-92.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.89 LKR 1,557

$96.6 £71.5

-94.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 121

$5.41 £4.00

-92.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 103

$1.55 £1.14

-79.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 LKR 166

$27.40 £20.28

-98.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 400

$2.00 £1.48

-37.00%

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

$26.3K LKR 8.4M

$38.6K £28.6K

-31.99%

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

$37.3K LKR 11.9M

$40.1K £29.7K

-6.88%

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

$48.20 LKR 15.4K

$324 £239

-85.10%

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

$4.61 LKR 1,469

$17.16 £12.70

-73.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.35 LKR 4,891

$42.46 £31.42

-63.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.99 LKR 4,137

$46.45 £34.38

-72.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.02 LKR 1,918

$16.23 £12.01

-62.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 LKR 1,086

$13.44 £9.94

-74.63%

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

$36.78 LKR 11.7K

$1,720 £1,273

-97.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$451 LKR 143.7K

$21.1K £15.6K

-97.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 LKR 8,586

$89.6 £66.3

-69.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.59 LKR 5,923

$43.89 £32.48

-57.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 LKR 20.6K

$101 £74.6

-35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.97 LKR 11.8K

$105 £78.1

-64.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 LKR 86.5K

$1,396 £1,033

-80.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 LKR 45.1K

$1,126 £833

-87.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 LKR 193.9K

$2,346 £1,736

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 LKR 86.1K

$1,877 £1,389

-85.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 LKR 1.1M

$5,923 £4,383

-41.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,210 LKR 385.6K

$4,613 £3,413

-73.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$218 LKR 69.4K

$3,374 £2,497

-93.54%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $54.0 in Sri Lanka vs $1,267 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $338 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $3,034 in London.

Average salary: $196 in Sri Lanka vs $3,209 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2246% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 342% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 9200% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1537% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom stronger purchasing power.

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 655% 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 655% 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.