Moving to Italy from Sri Lanka

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Sri Lanka to Italy? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Sri Lanka to Italy, you would find that Italy is 3.1 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,000,000 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly €205,000 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Rome averages 69°F vs 87°F in Colombo, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Italy cheaper than Sri Lanka?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 4.3 times more

Groceries

pay 81.6% more

Transportation

pay 2.6 times more

Housing

pay 3.4 times more

Childcare

pay 16.9 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 LKR = 0.0027 EUR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Italy?

What does your salary buy?

LKR25,000,000 → €205,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Italy

Calculate with your salary →

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Sri Lanka to Italy.

Moved in 2023
2,877 ↑ 31% vs 2022

people moved from Sri Lanka to Italy · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Italy?

Top countries of origin for Italy's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Italy compared to Sri Lanka.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

LK
3.3
IT
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LK
11.5
IT
5.0

Italy performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

LK
$507
IT
$4,993
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

LK
11.4
IT
41.9

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

LK
37.0
IT
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LK
1.1t
IT
5.1t

Sri Lanka generally does better on environment, though Italy leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LK
8.5
IT
31.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LK
90.8%
IT
29.8%

Italy performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LK
4.0%
IT
6.4%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

LK
$5,002
IT
$43,309

Sri Lanka generally does better on employment & economy, though Italy leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

LK
77.7 yrs
IT
84.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LK
5.2
IT
2.3

Italy performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016), Italian Revenue Agency (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Italy vs Sri Lanka

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Colombo Rain: 99.4 in/yr (2524 mm)
87° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Colombo Rome
Jan–Mar 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) 56°/39°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) 72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Colombo Rome
Jan 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C)
Feb 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C)
Mar 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C)
Apr 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C)
May 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C)
Jun 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C)
Jul 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C)
Aug 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C)
Sep 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C)
Oct 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C)
Nov 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C)
Dec 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C)

Data: National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre, Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology

Can you move from Sri Lanka to Italy?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.

Sri Lanka passport

Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Italy

Visa Required
Sri Lanka passport holders need a visa to enter Italy.
Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting Sri Lanka

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Italy passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Sri Lanka.

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 Italy than Sri Lanka?

On average Italy is around 206% pricier than Sri Lanka, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Italy?

Budget about €51,250 for 3 months in Italy (based on a LKR25,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Italy?

Connectivity is usually fine (Italy: 31.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Italy offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Italy safe for expats?

Italy performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.3 in Sri Lanka.

How is healthcare in Italy compared to Sri Lanka?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 41.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 11.4 in Sri Lanka. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).

What's the weather like in Italy compared to Sri Lanka?

The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.

What language do they speak in Italy?

The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.

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At a Glance

LK IT
Population 21,756,000 58,915,656
Currency Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) Euro (€)
Languages Sinhala, Tamil Catalan, Italian
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +94 +39
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 119 112