Moving to Sri Lanka from Pakistan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Pakistan to Sri Lanka? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 28.0% more expensive than Pakistan overall. A PKR21,000,000 salary in Pakistan would need to be roughly LKR32,100,000 in Sri Lanka to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
What does your salary buy?
PKR21,000,000 → LKR32,100,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 19.4% more
Groceries
pay 99.4% more
Transportation
pay 16.5% less
Housing
pay 53.7% more
Childcare
pay 46.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.5% 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Pakistan to Sri Lanka.
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
- · · ·
-
9.1,083
Pakistan
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Sri Lanka compared to Pakistan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Pakistan 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
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Pakistan 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 Pakistan leads in internet access.
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 performs significantly better than Pakistan across all employment & economy metrics.
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 Pakistan leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan (2016), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Islamabad | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Islamabad | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
National Meteorological CentreVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Pakistan 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.
Pakistan passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Pakistan
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 Pakistan?
On average Sri Lanka is around 28% pricier than Pakistan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Sri Lanka?
Budget about LKR8,025,000 for 3 months in Sri Lanka (based on a PKR21,000,000 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?
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Pakistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Pakistan.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Pakistan?
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in health coverage index. There are 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 11.6 in Pakistan. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Pakistan: 45).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Pakistan?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 84°F in Islamabad. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Islamabad gets 49.1 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Pakistan, the official languages are English and Urdu.
