Moving to Sri Lanka from Austria

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Austria to Sri Lanka — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Austria to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 63.4% cheaper than Austria overall. A €65,700 salary in Austria would need to be roughly LKR10,859,269 in Sri Lanka to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Colombo averages 87°F vs 58°F in Vienna, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Austria to Sri Lanka.

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 LKR10,859,269

To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 70.6% less

Groceries

pay 34.2% less

Transportation

pay 56.6% less

Housing

pay 76.3% less

Childcare

pay 95.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 46.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 383.1 LKR (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Austria and Sri Lanka stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

AT
0.9
LK
3.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
LK
11.5

Austria performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
LK
$507
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
LK
11.9

Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AT
17.0
LK
37.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
LK
1.1t

Austria generally does better on environment, though Sri Lanka leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AT
29.6
LK
10.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
LK
90.8%

Austria performs better than Sri Lanka across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.2%
LK
6.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$64,600
LK
$13,000

Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though Sri Lanka leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AT
82.3 yrs
LK
77.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
3.2
LK
8.2

Austria performs better than Sri Lanka across all family life metrics.

Data: Federal Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Vienna Rain: 24.4 in/yr (620 mm)
58° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Colombo Rain: 99.4 in/yr (2524 mm)
87° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Colombo
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 88°/73°F (31°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 88°/77°F (31°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 86°/77°F (30°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 86°/74°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Colombo
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Austria and Sri Lanka. To live, work, or study long-term in Sri Lanka, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sri Lanka's immigration authority.

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting Sri Lanka

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Austria passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka passport

Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Required
Sri Lanka passport holders need a visa to enter Austria.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Sri Lanka than Austria?

Generally yes: Sri Lanka runs about 57% cheaper than Austria on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Sri Lanka?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around LKR2,714,817 in Sri Lanka for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?

With 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sri Lanka can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Austria and Sri Lanka.

Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?

Austria performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.

How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Austria?

Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Austria leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 11.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 55.1 in Austria. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Austria?

The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?

The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT LK
Population 8,913,088 23,187,516
Currency Euro (€) Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Languages German Sinhala, Tamil
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +43 +94
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 119