Moving to Sri Lanka from El Salvador

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What to Expect

Considering a move from El Salvador to Sri Lanka? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from El Salvador to Sri Lanka, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Sri Lanka compared to El Salvador.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

SV
7.8
LK
3.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SV
21.5
LK
11.5

Sri Lanka performs significantly better than El Salvador across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SV
$1,176
LK
$507
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SV
15.5
LK
11.9

El Salvador generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SV
31.0
LK
37.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SV
1.5t
LK
1.1t

El Salvador 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

SV
10.6
LK
10.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SV
13.2%
LK
90.8%

El Salvador generally does better on infrastructure, though Sri Lanka leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SV
2.8%
LK
6.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SV
$11,300
LK
$13,000

Sri Lanka generally does better on employment & economy, though El Salvador leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SV
75.4 yrs
LK
77.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SV
12.1
LK
8.2

Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though El Salvador leads in education spending.

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

San Salvador Rain: 70.0 in/yr (1777 mm)
87° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months San Salvador Colombo
Jan–Mar 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 88°/73°F (31°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/68°F (31°/20°C) 88°/77°F (31°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/67°F (30°/20°C) 86°/77°F (30°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 86°/74°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month San Salvador Colombo
Jan 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.9°C) 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C)
Feb 90°/64°F (32.0°/17.6°C) 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C)
Mar 91°/65°F (32.7°/18.4°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C)
Apr 91°/68°F (32.7°/19.8°C) 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C)
May 88°/69°F (31.1°/20.4°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C)
Jun 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C)
Jul 87°/67°F (30.3°/19.5°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C)
Aug 87°/67°F (30.4°/19.7°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C)
Sep 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.6°C) 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C)
Oct 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.4°C) 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C)
Nov 86°/65°F (29.9°/18.4°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C)
Dec 86°/63°F (30.1°/17.4°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C)

Data: Gerencia de Meteorología Gerencia de Meteorología, National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between El Salvador 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.

El Salvador passport

El Salvador passport holder visiting Sri Lanka

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

Sri Lanka passport holder visiting El Salvador

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?

Connectivity is usually fine (Sri Lanka: 10.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Sri Lanka offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?

Sri Lanka performs significantly better than El Salvador across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 7.8 in El Salvador.

How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to El Salvador?

El Salvador generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 15.5 in El Salvador. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (El Salvador: 78).

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

The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 87°F in San Salvador. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while San Salvador gets 70.0 in.

What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?

The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In El Salvador, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

SV LK
Population 6,568,745 23,187,516
Currency Salvadoran Colón (SVC) Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Languages Spanish Sinhala, Tamil
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +503 +94
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 119