Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island nation located in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean southeast of the Indian subcontinent. The country is known for its diverse landscape, which includes tropical forests, highlands, and pristine coastal regions. Its stra...
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With a safety index of 58/100, Sri Lanka offers moderate safety conditions for expats and their families.
All international visitors to Sri Lanka, including citizens from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, require an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for tourism or business stays up to 30 days. The ETA functions as a mandatory pre-arrival electronic visa, obtainable online via the official eta.gov.lk portal or at ports of entry (airports and major harbors) for most nationalities, though restricted nationals (e.g., Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast) cannot apply on arrival.[3][6] Applications require a passport valid for at...
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31% below EU avg
11% below EU avg
59% below EU avg
70% below EU avg
Baselines based on EU averages. Source: Numbeo indices.
Capital
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Timezone
UTC+05:30
Area
65,610 km²
Population
21,919,000
Sri Lanka shows a purchasing power index of 21/100, indicating below average economic conditions for expats.
GDP
$88.50B
HDI
0.8
Quality of Life
28/100
-15 vs NYC
Purchasing Power
9/100
-33 vs NYC
Understanding the economic landscape is essential for evaluating living costs and opportunities in Sri Lanka. This comprehensive overview covers key financial indicators including cost of living, housing markets, income levels, and fiscal policies that shape daily life and long-term financial planning.
Cost of Living Index
Very affordable (CPI: 33.37). Groceries (47.26), restaurants (23.67), and rent (7.00) are low compared to NYC=100 baseline.
Housing Market
Very expensive with property price to income ratio of 55.59 years. Rent remains affordable but ownership is challenging.
Average Income Levels
Low purchasing power index of 20.07. GDP per capita around $4,186 USD limits buying power for residents.
Tax System
Progressive personal income tax up to 36% for high earners post-2022 reforms. VAT at 18%, with recent fiscal tightening improving clarity.
Business Environment
Moderate ease of doing business amid recovery; 5% GDP growth in 2024. Bureaucracy persists but reforms attract FDI in tourism and services.
Social Security
Public healthcare free at point of service with moderate quality. Pensions via Employees' Provident Fund; limited unemployment benefits.
Sri Lanka features a tropical climate with minimal seasonal temperature variation due to its equatorial position, moderated by ocean winds and monsoons. The country experiences two main monsoon seasons: the southwest monsoon (May-October) bringing heavy rain to the southwest and central highlands, and the northeast monsoon (December-March) affecting the north and east.
4 distinct climate regions — see full guide for details
Read full guideLife Expectancy
77.8
Population
21,919,000
Religions
Currently under research
Ethnic Composition
Research in Progress
We're currently analyzing expat perspectives for Sri Lanka. Check back soon for insights from real experiences!
We're gradually rolling out this feature and continuously improving the insights. The data is based on real expat discussions and will become more comprehensive over time.
Sri Lanka's semi-presidential republic is led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya of the National People's Power (NPP), following their landslide victories in 2024 elections. The NPP holds a supermajority in the unicameral Parliament, focusing on anti-corruption reforms, economic recovery, and constitutional changes amid post-crisis stabilization.
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Population
21,919,000
Currency
LKR
Timezone
UTC+05:30
Calling Code
+94
Week starts on
Monday
Gini Coefficient
39.3 (2016)
Traffic side
left side
Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.
All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.