Australia has welcomed an average of 5,500 immigrants each year (2010-2020) from Sri Lanka [1]. There are a variety of reasons why Sri Lankans immigrate to Australia, including finding better work, access to better education and being able to improve their lives through access to higher wages. However, there are some considerations if you are thinking about moving from Sri Lanka to Australia.
Cost of Living in Australia vs Sri Lanka*
Most Sri Lankan immigrants in Australia live in Victoria and New South Wales, with many settling in Melbourne. For the purposes of this blog, we’ll compare the cost of living in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo with the cost of living in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria.
Cost of accommodation
The housing crisis is not only affecting those wishing to settle in Sydney. Accommodation in Melbourne is reported to be the 4th most expensive in the world [2] and is increasingly hard to find. According to cost-of-living website Numbeo, the average rental cost for a one-bedroom apartment in Melbourne is AUD$ 2,273. In Colombo, a similar property costs AUD$ 469 [3]. With property almost five times more expensive in Australia than in Sri Lanka, those wishing to immigrate must ensure they have a guaranteed income.
Cost of utilities
Utilities such as energy, water and garbage disposal are also more than 5 times more expensive in Melbourne than in Colombo. Your mobile plan will cost you around $9 a month in Sri Lanka vs $40 in Australia, and broadband is similarly around 4.6 times cheaper in Sri Lanka than in Australia.
Cost of groceries
Supermarket shopping in Melbourne is unsurprisingly significantly more expensive than in Colombo with many goods costing 2-3 times higher in Australia. Expect to pay around $3.31 for a loaf of bread, $71.4 for a kilo of tomatoes and $2.55 for a litre of water.
Cost of travel
This is where Melbourne gets much more expensive than Colombo as a one-way ticket on local transport will set you back on average $4.50 in Melbourne vs just $0.24 in Colombo – that’s 18 times more! A monthly pass costs $165.60 in Melbourne against $8.24 in Colombo, 19 times higher.
Cost of entertainment
Finally, let’s look at the cost of entertainment. To go to the cinema in Melbourne, it will cost around $20 vs. $4.71 in Colombo, so more than four times more expensive. Joining a leisure centre or gym is a $76 a month commitment vs only $18.50 in Colombo. It all adds up to significantly more cost when you move from Sri Lanka to Australia. However, we must not forget the part that average wages play.
Average wages in Melbourne vs Colombo*
The average salary after tax in Colombo is $279 per month whereas a similar job in Melbourne will net you $5,032. That’s seventeen times higher so you can afford the increased expenses of living in Australia’s second most populated city.
Taking the wages and costs into consideration together, you’ll be better off in Australia because your purchasing power is 518% higher than in Sri Lanka.
Converting AUD to LKR (Sri Lankan rupee)
If you’ve moved to Sri Lanka in search of a better standard of living and to be in a position to help family back home, you’ll need to become familiar with how to send money to Sri Lanka. One of the most reliable ways to make cross-border payments is using Western Union’s suite of money transfer options. Our mobile money transfer app offers straightforward account set up so you can submit your first transfer with the right identity documentation in just a few minutes. Receipt of payment by your recipient may take anywhere from a few minutes to four business days, so it may be necessary to plan when you make transfers if you are sending money home to pay important bills such as rent or utilities.
If you aren’t using a smartphone, you can make payments online via a PC or you can visit one of our many agent locations in Australia to initiate your money transfer. For help on converting Australian dollars to Sri Lankan rupees, use our online currency converter, and for help with money transfers visit our Help Centre today.
Studying in Australia
Australia has some of the world’s best universities which attract students from every corner of the globe. If you are a Sri Lankan looking to study in Australia, why not check out the following university websites for more information on courses and campus life. Studying in Australia is more economical than other English-speaking alternatives such as the US or the UK.
Tuition fees for international students
| Country | Tuition fees (home currency) | Tuition fees in AUD |
| United Kingdom | £22,000-£32,000 [4] | $41,095-$39775 |
| United States | $25,000-$45,000 [5] | $36,466-$65,640 |
| Australia | $20,000-$45,000 [6] | $20,000-$45,000 |
Although the cost of living in Australia is much higher than in Sri Lanka, when you factor in the much higher wages, better job prospects and attractions such as great education, you can see why many Sri Lankans choose to immigrate to the land Down Under. Check this blog article to find out 6 reasons Australia is a top choice for international students from Sri Lanka.
*Costs and wages listed above were sourced from Numbeo and were correct as at June 2023.
