Moving to Sri Lanka from Kazakhstan

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Kazakhstan to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 38.0% cheaper than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT34,000,000 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly LKR15,400,000 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Colombo averages 87°F vs 58°F in Almaty, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Sri Lanka cheaper than Kazakhstan?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 56.0% less

Groceries

pay 1.6% more

Transportation

pay 15.0% less

Housing

pay 40.9% less

Childcare

pay 88.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 21.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KZT = 0.7308 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.

What salary do you need in Sri Lanka?

What does your salary buy?

KZT34,000,000 → LKR15,400,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka

Calculate with your salary →

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Sri Lanka compared to Kazakhstan.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

KZ
2.5
LK
3.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

KZ
12.2
LK
11.5

Kazakhstan 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

KZ
$1,460
LK
$507
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

KZ
37.5
LK
11.4

Kazakhstan 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

KZ
68.0
LK
37.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KZ
12.6t
LK
1.1t

Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Kazakhstan across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

KZ
15.3
LK
8.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KZ
34.6%
LK
90.8%

Kazakhstan performs better than Sri Lanka across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KZ
4.8%
LK
4.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

KZ
$14,692
LK
$5,002

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

KZ
74.5 yrs
LK
77.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KZ
7.4
LK
5.2

Kazakhstan generally does better on family life, though Sri Lanka leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016), The World Factbook (2018). How we calculate this

Weather in Sri Lanka vs Kazakhstan

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Almaty Rain: 25.2 in/yr (641 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Almaty Colombo
Jan–Mar 36°/18°F (2°/-8°C) 88°/73°F (31°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/11°C) 88°/77°F (31°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/59°F (27°/15°C) 86°/77°F (30°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 46°/27°F (8°/-3°C) 86°/74°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month Almaty Colombo
Jan 30°/12°F (-1.3°/-11.1°C) 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C)
Feb 32°/15°F (0.2°/-9.5°C) 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C)
Mar 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.4°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C)
Apr 62°/42°F (16.5°/5.6°C) 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C)
May 71°/52°F (21.7°/10.9°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C)
Jun 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C)
Jul 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.6°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C)
Aug 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.3°C) 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C)
Sep 74°/52°F (23.4°/11.0°C) 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C)
Oct 61°/40°F (15.9°/4.6°C) 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C)
Nov 43°/26°F (6.2°/-3.3°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C)
Dec 33°/16°F (0.4°/-8.8°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C)

Data: Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre

Can you move from Kazakhstan to Sri Lanka?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kazakhstan 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.

Kazakhstan passport

Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Sri Lanka

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

Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Kazakhstan

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Sri Lanka passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Kazakhstan.

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 Kazakhstan?

On average Sri Lanka is about 38% less expensive than Kazakhstan, with major cities narrowing the gap.

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

Budget about LKR3,850,000 for 3 months in Sri Lanka (based on a KZT34,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?

Connectivity is usually fine (Sri Lanka: 8.5 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?

Kazakhstan 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 2.5 in Kazakhstan.

How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 37.5 in Kazakhstan. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kazakhstan: 80).

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

The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 58°F in Almaty. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Almaty gets 25.2 in.

What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?

The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Kazakhstan, the official languages are Kazakh and Russian.

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At a Glance

KZ LK
Population 20,843,754 21,756,000
Currency Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT) Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Languages Kazakh, Russian Sinhala, Tamil
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +7 +94
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 119