Moving to Sweden from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sri Lanka to Sweden — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 3.1 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,000,000 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly SEK2,360,000 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°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?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sri Lanka to Sweden.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,000,000 → SEK2,360,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.8 times more
Groceries
pay 87.5% more
Transportation
pay 2.8 times more
Housing
pay 3.7 times more
Childcare
pay 7.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.0 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Sri Lanka to Sweden, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Sri Lanka to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sri Lanka and Sweden stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden 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
Sweden 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 Sweden 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
Sweden 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 Sweden 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
Sweden 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), Skatteverket (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Colombo | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Required
Sweden 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 Sweden than Sri Lanka?
Day-to-day costs in Sweden run about 212% higher than Sri Lanka on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Sweden?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a LKR25,000,000 comparable salary, that's around SEK590,000 in Sweden for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
With 40.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 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 Sweden.
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Sweden performs significantly better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.3 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Sri Lanka?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 11.4 in Sri Lanka. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
