Moving to New Jersey from Sri Lanka

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Sri Lanka to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 12.0 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,173,710 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly $193,805 in New Jersey 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 — Trenton averages 63°F vs 87°F in Colombo, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Sri Lanka and New Jersey.

What does your salary buy?

LKR25,173,710 $193,805

To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 4.1 times more

Groceries

pay 2.9 times more

Transportation

pay 4.9 times more

Housing

pay 6.8 times more

Childcare

pay 59.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 LKR = 0.003 USD (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
2,280 ↓ 8% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in New Jersey compared to Sri Lanka.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

LK
5.2%
NJ
30.0%

Sri Lanka performs better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

LK
67.0%
NJ
91.9%

New Jersey performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LK
6.4%
NJ
4.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

LK
$13,000
NJ
$70,788

New Jersey performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2020

average years of life at birth

LK
77.5 yrs
NJ
77.5 yrs

Sri Lanka performs better than New Jersey across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Trenton Rain: 46.5 in/yr (1180 mm)
63° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Colombo Trenton
Jan–Mar 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) 54°/36°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Colombo Trenton
Jan 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)
Feb 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)
Mar 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)
Apr 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)
May 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)
Jun 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)
Jul 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)
Aug 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)
Sep 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)
Oct 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)
Nov 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)
Dec 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C)

Data: National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre, National Weather Service 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

Sri Lanka passport holder visiting United States

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

United States passport holder visiting Sri Lanka

Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 New Jersey than Sri Lanka?

On average New Jersey is around 158% pricier than Sri Lanka, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to New Jersey?

Budget about $48,451 for 3 months in New Jersey (based on a LKR25,173,710 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New Jersey?

From major New Jersey cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Sri Lanka and New Jersey are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka performs better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.

What language do they speak in New Jersey?

The official language in New Jersey is English. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.

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At a Glance

LK
Population 23,187,516 8,791,894
Currency Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Sinhala, Tamil English
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +94 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 119 911