Moving to Sri Lanka from Ghana

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Ghana to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 37.0% cheaper than Ghana overall. A GHS880,000 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly LKR15,600,000 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.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

GHS880,000 → LKR15,600,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 48.8% less

Groceries

pay 31.8% less

Transportation

pay 16.8% less

Housing

pay 31.0% less

Childcare

pay 92.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 41.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GHS = 28.11 LKR (October 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 Ghana and Sri Lanka stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

GH
1.8
LK
3.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GH
25.9
LK
11.5

Ghana generally does better on safety, though Sri Lanka leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

GH
$234
LK
$507
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

GH
2.7
LK
11.4

Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ghana 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

GH
89.0
LK
37.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GH
0.7t
LK
1.1t

Ghana generally does better on environment, though Sri Lanka leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GH
0.7
LK
8.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GH
6.3%
LK
90.8%

Ghana generally does better on infrastructure, though Sri Lanka leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GH
3.0%
LK
4.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

GH
$3,257
LK
$5,002

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

GH
65.7 yrs
LK
77.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GH
27.5
LK
5.2

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

Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ghana Revenue Authority (2016), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Accra Rain: 29.2 in/yr (741 mm)
88° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Accra Colombo
Jan–Mar 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) 88°/73°F (31°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) 88°/77°F (31°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) 86°/77°F (30°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) 86°/74°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month Accra Colombo
Jan 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C)
Feb 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C)
Mar 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C)
Apr 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C)
May 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C)
Jul 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C)
Oct 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C)
Nov 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C)
Dec 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C)

Data: Ghana Meteorological Agency Ghana Meteorological Agency, National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ghana 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.

Ghana passport

Ghana passport holder visiting Sri Lanka

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

Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Ghana

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

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 Ghana?

Generally yes: Sri Lanka runs about 37% cheaper than Ghana 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 GHS880,000 comparable salary, that's around LKR3,900,000 in Sri Lanka for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?

With 8.5 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 Ghana and Sri Lanka.

Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?

Ghana generally does better on safety, though Sri Lanka leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Ghana.

How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Ghana?

Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ghana leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 2.7 in Ghana. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ghana: 48).

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

The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 in.

What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?

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

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At a Glance

GH LK
Population 35,064,272 21,756,000
Currency Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Languages English Sinhala, Tamil
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +233 +94
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 119