What if you were born in Sri Lanka?

If you had grown up in Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Colombo could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Sigiriya rock fortress above the forest. Photo: Vishwa Navod Gunawickrama, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Sri Lanka

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in LKR and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Sri Lanka: LKR 133,000Rs 111,000
Rent (city centre): LKR 38,600
Transport (public transport): LKR 6,810
Food: LKR 19,300
Saved: LKR 20,000

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Sri Lanka: LKR 307,000Rs 255,000
Rent (suburbs): LKR 78,200
Transport (public transport): LKR 15,600
Food: LKR 52,100
Saved: LKR 46,000

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Sri Lanka: LKR 497,000Rs 414,000
Rent (city centre): LKR 122,000
Transport (car): LKR 46,500
Food: LKR 60,800
Saved: LKR 139,000

Try it with my own income

A day in Colombo

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Colombo, a city of mild winters around 25°C and warm summers around 28°C, and an umbrella is never far away.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
You speak Sinhala at home, and English works almost everywhere.
Lunch
Lunch might be rice and curry, and hoppers: bowl-shaped rice flour pancakes.
Evening
You get home with LKR 46,000 saved each month. You stay alert in some areas at night.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast and the mountains.

Sri Lanka compared with Pakistan

	Sri Lanka	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	1.2× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	78 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	23 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	4.0%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	26°C	26°C
Languages	Sinhala, Tamil, English	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	LKR	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, living in Sri Lanka and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Sri Lanka?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around LKR 307,000 a month at the same level in Sri Lanka (about Rs 255,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Sri Lanka more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 1.2 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Sri Lanka?

Mainly Sinhala, Tamil, English. English is widely spoken.

Can I actually move to Sri Lanka?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.