Moving to United States from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sri Lanka to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to United States, you would find that United States is 4.3 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,000,000 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly $326,000 in United States 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 — New York City averages 62°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 ↓Is United States cheaper than Sri Lanka?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.5 times more
Groceries
pay 2.2 times more
Transportation
pay 2.3 times more
Housing
pay 7.1 times more
Childcare
pay 42.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.1 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.
What salary do you need in United States?
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,000,000 → $326,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to United States
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sri Lanka to United States, and how the trend has changed.
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.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
88.51,543
Sri Lanka
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sri Lanka and United States 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 United States 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 United States 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
United States 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 United States 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
United States generally does better on family life, though Sri Lanka leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016), Internal Revenue Service (2016), The World Factbook (2010). How we calculate this
Weather in United States vs Sri Lanka
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Colombo | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Sri Lanka to United States?
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 holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 United States than Sri Lanka?
Day-to-day costs in United States run about 332% higher than Sri Lanka on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a LKR25,000,000 comparable salary, that's around $81,500 in United States for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
With 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United States 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 United States.
Is United States safe for expats?
Sri Lanka performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 5.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.3 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 11.4 in Sri Lanka. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
