Moving to Pakistan from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sri Lanka to Pakistan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Pakistan, you would find that Pakistan is 5.1% cheaper than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR24,752,613 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly PKR13,066,780 in Pakistan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Urdu.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.
What does your salary buy?
LKR24,752,613 → PKR13,066,780
To maintain the same standard of living in Pakistan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 43.5% less
Groceries
pay 50.4% less
Transportation
pay 6.3% less
Housing
pay 2.1% less
Childcare
pay 90.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.9% 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 Sri Lanka to Pakistan, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sri Lanka and Pakistan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka performs better than Pakistan 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pakistan 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 Pakistan leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Sri Lanka performs better than Pakistan 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on employment & economy, though Pakistan leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Pakistan leads in education spending.
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 | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) |
National Meteorological CentreVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. To live, work, or study long-term in Pakistan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Pakistan's immigration authority.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Pakistan
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Pakistan 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 Pakistan than Sri Lanka?
Generally yes: Pakistan runs about 37% cheaper than Sri Lanka on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Pakistan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a LKR24,752,613 comparable salary, that's around PKR3,266,695 in Pakistan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Pakistan?
With 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Pakistan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Is Pakistan safe for expats?
Sri Lanka performs better than Pakistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Pakistan is 4.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Pakistan compared to Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pakistan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 10.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Pakistan, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Pakistan scores 45 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Pakistan compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Islamabad is 84°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Islamabad receives around 49.1 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Pakistan?
The official languages in Pakistan are English and Urdu. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
