Moving to Sri Lanka from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Sri Lanka — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 58.1% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$125,240 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly LKR12,999,742 in Sri Lanka to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Colombo averages 87°F vs 62°F in Wellington, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Sri Lanka.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$125,240 → LKR12,999,742
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 59.2% less
Groceries
pay 16.9% less
Transportation
pay 50.4% less
Housing
pay 72.4% less
Childcare
pay 95.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 57.0% less
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 New Zealand 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.
- 10,837
- 5,168
- 2,481
- 1,753
- 1,688
- 1,416
- · · ·
-
37.111
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics.
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
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand generally does better on environment, though Sri Lanka leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
New Zealand performs better than Sri Lanka across all infrastructure metrics.
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
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Sri Lanka leads in top income tax 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
New Zealand performs better than Sri Lanka across all family life metrics.
Data: New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Wellington | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Meteorological Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting New Zealand
Visa RequiredData: 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 New Zealand?
Generally yes: Sri Lanka runs about 47% cheaper than New Zealand 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 NZ$125,240 comparable salary, that's around LKR3,249,936 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 New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?
New Zealand performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand 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 35.7 in New Zealand. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
