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

Name: Sri Lanka
Address: LK

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 387% higher than in Sri Lanka on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £14.94

$3.29 LKR 1,104

512.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 £65.6

$23.46 LKR 7,873

277.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 £7.66

$6.67 LKR 2,237

54.87%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.36

$2.71 LKR 908

67.16%

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

$2.38 £1.76

$0.74 LKR 247

221.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.36 LKR 122

372.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.90

$2.30 LKR 773

187.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.62

$3.44 LKR 1,156

81.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.67 LKR 561

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$0.54 LKR 180

209.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.65

$0.79 LKR 266

181.01%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.95

$2.18 LKR 731

82.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.11

$13.36 LKR 4,482

-28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 £6.78

$4.90 LKR 1,645

86.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 £10.33

$7.87 LKR 2,641

77.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.18

$7.17 LKR 2,407

-59.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.01 LKR 339

65.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.12

$5.57 LKR 1,867

-48.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.55

$1.37 LKR 461

151.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.14 LKR 382

49.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.19 LKR 400

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$1.12 LKR 377

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.55 LKR 184

176.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.27

$10.11 LKR 3,393

103.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 £7.86

$12.06 LKR 4,047

-12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.07 LKR 694

38.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.87 LKR 963

13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.40

$0.22 LKR 73.4

1368.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 £69.1

$5.09 LKR 1,708

1732.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.91

$0.39 LKR 131

1253.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.35 LKR 118

334.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.79 £19.85

$0.48 LKR 160

5481.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.30 LKR 437

52.31%

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

$37.9K £28.1K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

41.42%

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

$40.6K £30.1K

$37.5K LKR 12.6M

8.21%

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

$325 £241

$47.56 LKR 16.0K

584.02%

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

$17.63 £13.07

$4.56 LKR 1,531

286.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 £31.26

$15.57 LKR 5,225

170.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.04

$12.79 LKR 4,292

259.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 £11.76

$6.20 LKR 2,081

155.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 £9.91

$3.43 LKR 1,150

289.50%

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

$1,736 £1,287

$36.51 LKR 12.2K

4655.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K £15.8K

$438 LKR 147.1K

4768.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 £67.3

$27.24 LKR 9,139

233.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 £33.53

$18.49 LKR 6,205

144.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$63.3 LKR 21.2K

61.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.5

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

175.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 £1,047

$268 LKR 89.9K

426.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 £832

$142 LKR 47.7K

689.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 £1,754

$622 LKR 208.8K

280.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,354

$269 LKR 90.4K

577.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,662 £4,196

$3,617 LKR 1.2M

56.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,424 £3,279

$1,079 LKR 361.9K

310.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,238 £2,400

$207 LKR 69.6K

1461.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

16.21

-64.53%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 26, 2026

Last update for Sri Lanka: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $3,174 in United Kingdom vs $191 in Sri Lanka. 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

United Kingdom vs Sri Lanka: 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.