Moving to Sri Lanka from India
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from India to Sri Lanka — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from India to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 48.3% more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,129,841 salary in India would need to be roughly LKR44,799,259 in Sri Lanka to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from India to Sri Lanka.
What does your salary buy?
₹7,129,841 → LKR44,799,259
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 92.1% more
Groceries
pay 2.4 times more
Transportation
pay 23.5% more
Housing
pay 80.8% more
Childcare
pay 54.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 45.1% more
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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from India to Sri Lanka, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Sri Lanka?
Top countries of origin for Sri Lanka's foreign-born residents.
-
1.10,837
India
- 5,168
- 2,481
- 1,753
- 1,688
- 1,416
Key Indicator Comparison
How India and Sri Lanka stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
India generally does better on safety, though Sri Lanka leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than India across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
India generally does better on infrastructure, though Sri Lanka leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Sri Lanka generally does better on employment & economy, though India leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Delhi | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Delhi | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
India Meteorological Department,
National Meteorological Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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.
India passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Visa on Arrival
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 India?
Day-to-day costs in Sri Lanka run about 81% higher than India on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 ₹7,129,841 comparable salary, that's around LKR11,199,815 in Sri Lanka for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 India and Sri Lanka.
Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?
India generally does better on safety, though Sri Lanka leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to India?
India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 11.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 7.3 in India. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to India?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.
