Moving to Sri Lanka from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 35.1% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly LKR16,755,957 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → LKR16,755,957
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.9% less
Groceries
pay 12.4% more
Transportation
pay 19.9% less
Housing
pay 58.5% less
Childcare
pay 91.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.0% 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 Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia 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
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia 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
share of households with internet
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Sri Lanka 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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Sri Lanka 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Sri Lanka leads in life expectancy.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
National Meteorological Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: Sri Lanka runs about 33% cheaper than Saudi Arabia 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 SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around LKR4,188,989 in Sri Lanka for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, 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 Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.
Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia 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 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia 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 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
