Moving to Sri Lanka from Sweden
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Sweden to Sri Lanka — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Sweden to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 59.6% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK693,101 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly LKR12,223,170 in Sri Lanka to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Colombo averages 87°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Sweden to Sri Lanka.
What does your salary buy?
SEK693,101 → LKR12,223,170
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 64.8% less
Groceries
pay 27.0% less
Transportation
pay 60.1% less
Housing
pay 69.4% less
Childcare
pay 83.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.3% 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?
How many people actually move from Sweden to Sri Lanka, based on official data.
Who's moving to Sri Lanka?
Top countries of origin for Sri Lanka's foreign-born residents.
- 10,837
- 5,168
- 2,481
- 1,753
- 1,688
- 1,416
- · · ·
-
35.130
Sweden
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Sweden to Sri Lanka.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden performs 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
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
Sweden generally does better on environment, though Sri Lanka 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
Sweden performs 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
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 better than Sri Lanka across all family life metrics.
Data: Skatteverket, 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 | Stockholm | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
National Meteorological Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and Sri Lanka. To live, work, or study long-term in Sri Lanka, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sri Lanka's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Sri Lanka than Sweden?
Yes — Sri Lanka is on average about 51% cheaper than Sweden. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Sri Lanka?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly LKR3,055,792 in Sri Lanka on a SEK693,101 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Sri Lanka has 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?
Sweden performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Sweden?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
