Moving to Illinois from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Sri Lanka to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 9.8 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,173,710 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly $153,847 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°F vs 87°F in Colombo, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Sri Lanka to Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,173,710 → $153,847
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.2 times more
Transportation
pay 3.6 times more
Housing
pay 5.3 times more
Childcare
pay 48.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.7 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?
How many people actually move from Sri Lanka to Illinois, based on official data.
people moved from Sri Lanka to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
88.51,543
Sri Lanka
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Sri Lanka to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Sri Lanka performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois 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
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Sri Lanka performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Colombo | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 Illinois than Sri Lanka?
No — Illinois is on average about 105% more expensive than Sri Lanka. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $38,462 in Illinois on a LKR25,173,710 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
