Moving to Australia from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sri Lanka to Australia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Australia, you would find that Australia is 8.1 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,169,825 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly A$232,579 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 87°F in Colombo, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Sri Lanka and Australia.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,169,825 → A$232,579
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.9 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 4.0 times more
Housing
pay 4.5 times more
Childcare
pay 36.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.1 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sri Lanka to Australia.
people moved from Sri Lanka to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
10.139,456
Sri Lanka
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Australia compared to Sri Lanka.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs significantly 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia 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 generally does better on environment, though Australia 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
Australia performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Australia 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
Australia performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all family life metrics.
Data: Sri Lanka 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 | Colombo | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
National Meteorological Centre
Bureau of MeteorologyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Australia
Visa Required
Australia passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Sri Lanka?
On average Australia is around 116% pricier than Sri Lanka, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Budget about A$58,145 for 3 months in Australia (based on a LKR25,169,825 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Australia: 35.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Australia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Sri Lanka?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
