Moving to Spain from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sri Lanka to Spain? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Spain, you would find that Spain is 4.5 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,169,825 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly €127,266 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°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 Spain.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,169,825 → €127,266
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.5 times more
Groceries
pay 57.1% more
Transportation
pay 3.0 times more
Housing
pay 3.3 times more
Childcare
pay 15.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 90.6% 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 Spain.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Spain compared to Sri Lanka.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
Spain 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 Spain 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
Spain 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.
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
Spain 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 | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Required
Spain 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 Spain than Sri Lanka?
On average Spain is around 94% pricier than Sri Lanka, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Budget about €31,816 for 3 months in Spain (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 Spain?
Connectivity is usually fine (Spain: 36.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Spain offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Sri Lanka?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
