Moving to Sri Lanka from Nigeria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Nigeria to Sri Lanka? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Nigeria to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 4.9% more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN103,376,008 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly LKR21,351,334 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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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
What does your salary buy?
NGN103,376,008 → LKR21,351,334
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 44.3% more
Groceries
pay 11.8% more
Transportation
pay 19.8% less
Housing
pay 39.3% less
Childcare
pay 63.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1 times 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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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Sri Lanka compared to Nigeria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Nigeria 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria 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
Nigeria generally does better on environment, though Sri Lanka leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Sri Lanka generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria leads in water stress level.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Sri Lanka generally does better on employment & economy, though Nigeria 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 performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.
Data: Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria, 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 | Abuja | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abuja | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
National Meteorological Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria 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.
Nigeria passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Visa Required
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Nigeria
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 Nigeria?
On average Sri Lanka is about 15% less expensive than Nigeria, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Sri Lanka?
Budget about LKR5,337,834 for 3 months in Sri Lanka (based on a NGN103,376,008 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: 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 Nigeria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 21.7 in Nigeria.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Nigeria?
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 3.9 in Nigeria. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Nigeria?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 91°F in Abuja. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Abuja gets 48.1 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Nigeria, the official language is English.
