1. Expat Life Within Sri Lanka, Colombo
I recently visited the wonderful island of Sri Lanka, and found a nation full of surprises.
Sri Lanka is situated simply south of indian , in the Indian sea. Once known as the Dominium of
Ceylon and often referred to as the teas country, tea farms abundantly thrive across the island, with
spice gardens, banana as well as coconut palms developing randomly to create a new world of
natural assets.
People, animals as well as transport seem to co-exist side by side with no bitterness towards each
other. Canines wonder aimlessly throughout or bask in the sun at the side of roads, cows and goats
roam around everywhere, even on the beaches (that we found rather humorous ) and people are
everywhere, regardless of whether walking, cycling, utilizing a tuc-tuc, motorbike along with 5 astride,
inside a taxi, bus, car or truck , each takes up an area of the not too wide road. However co-exist they
do, there is no anger at being stuck behind the truck, merely a short hooting of the horn to say I am
right here and would like to move , politeness abounds and the expression and seems are all of
friendliness, within a country which sorely needs help at redeveloping itself since the tsunami.
Individuals are poor and yet joy is everywhere.... NOt only for the child on the hip or the individual at
their side , but for expats as well as tourists as well.
Tourists fluctuate towards the hotels and some chance other locations slightly outside of these areas,
to experience the quieter less harassed holiday. Small pockets of expats can be found , dotted all
over the country. When you bump into these people and chat about existence on the island, there is
not much to grumble about. Yes, occasionally the water gets turned off or the electricity, indeed the
internet is not as fast as they would like it to be. Isn't that how most people feel within developed
countries anyway: the faster it gets the faster we want this. In this little bit of paradise, expats aren't
too concerned that it takes longer to do things right here , the people are prepared to wait , not too
hasty to move forward too quickly. There was a lot of speak and concern about the elections and
safety within the country there are still road blockades and police or army personnel along with guns
wandering close to keeping peace if necessary. However, with 70% of the population being
Buddhists, the lifestyle is actually peaceful and existence simplistic.
From a good expat perspective, i possibly could not fault the life-style. As said over , yes there are
particular things missing, things are slower, it takes a good 4 - 6 hours to obtain from Colombo to
Galle and similarly to anywhere about 200km's apart. I can't say that the roads are particularly in
good shape , but in the 10 days that I visited, i did not see one accident. Hardships could include the
lack of being able to get in one part of the island to another quickly, the lack of fast internet
connection, perhaps the individual waste / decline , which allows for the influx of flies, the dirt which is
remaining to lie close to and lastly the lack of money to rebuild the country to what it was prior to the
Tsunami.
Having said that , I have to look at all of the good things that you discover there, the beauty of the
natural resources, how the nationals and expats are trying to rebuild the country , the beaches, game
recreational areas and mountains. This really is truly a beautiful part of the world.

2. Expat Cost of living summary
The currency in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee LKR
The Exchange rate because at 15 the month of january 2010 was $1 = 114.217 Rupees
I am going to break the Cost of living down according to some of the container items:
Alcohol as well as Tobacco: Alcohol at Bar, Beer, cigarettes , Locally Produced spirit , Whiskey,
Wine
Cigarettes (twenties ) - $3.fourteen to $9
Domestic ale (500ml) - $2.50
Imported Beer (330ml) - $5.80
Wine at a bar - $6 a glass
Wine at a shop - $15 (750ml bottle )
Hotels tend to increase the prices of alcoholic beverages as it is the one method in which they can
make a profit. There are lots of small hotels as well as restaurants which produce a competitive edge
to where you can stay.
Clothing: Business Suits, Casual clothes , Children's Clothing as well as footwear, Coats as well as
hats, Evening Wear, footwear Repairs, Underwear
Casual long-sleeved Shirt (Men) - $12
Casual Long Sleeved trousers (Men) - $20
Shorts (Men) - $11
T-Shirt (Men) - $6
Casual Blouse (Women) - $7
Casual Skirt (ladies ) - $12
Children's denim jeans (Boys) - $5
Children's Jeans (Girls) - $3.50
Children's shirt (Boys) - $5
Children's Shirt(Girls) - $4
Clothes are extremely inexpensive , in Colombo an individual can get most of the name branded
clothing at fairly reasonable prices within Factory shops.
Communication: Home Telephone leasing and Call costs , Internet Connection and service provider
fees, Mobile or Cellular Phone Contract as well as Calls
Monthly phone leasing - $4.36
Phone call rate - $0.05 for any local call
Internet collection connection fee - $104 (buy just about all equipment with set up )
Internet service provider fee - $17 (1 geg free after that )
Monthly mobile contract fee - $2.18 (for the 12 months )
Mobile / cellular call rate - 90% of mobile phones are prepaid,
Mobile Phone 100 moments Call - $38
- $0.012 - $0.05 sms peak times
Due to so many of the nationals working overseas to send money home, the conversation costs are

3. extremely low and there are often special deals or cost-free is involved in the actual call.
Education: Creche / Pre-School costs , High School / college Fees, Primary college Fees, Tertiary
study Fees
Annual Creche fee - $4.thirty six per month
Annual primary school fee - $260 - $436 per month
Annual high school fee - $260 - $436 per month
Annual 1st 12 months Tertiary / college fee - $260 to $436 monthly (dependent on which
private college they go to)
Private schooling is the most expensive on the island for expat children to attend , however the rates
compared to other countries tend to be reasonable. Expats which i came across spoke highly of the
education system in the country and were happy with the personal education that their children were
receiving.
Furniture and Appliances: DVD Player, Fridge Freezer, iron , Kettle, Toaster, microwave oven ,
Light Bulbs, Television, vacuum cleaner , Washing Machine
DVD participant - $87
Fridge or Freezer - $489 (LG / Whirlpool - 4 12 months guarantee)
Iron - $12 cheap to $35 top of the range
Kettle - $20 inexpensive to $37 top of the range
Microwave - $191
TV 21 inch - $244 (2 12 months guarantee)
Washing device LG - $570
Discounts can be negotiated along with stores on just about all items
Groceries bought inside a grocery store: Baby Consumables, Baked Goods, baking , Canned
Foods, cheese , Cleaning Products, dairy , Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, fruit juices , Frozen, Meat,
oil & Vinegars, dog Food, Pre-Prepared meals , Sauces, Seafood, treats , Soft Drinks, Spices &
Herbs
Powdered baby method (400g) - $7
Plain biscuits (100g) - $0.20
Loaf white bread (200g) - $0.70
Cake Flour (1kg) - $2.80
Baked Beans (415g) - $1.92
Tuna (185g) - $2.75
Cheese: Cheddar (250g) - $6.63
Crisps: Pringles (139g) - $2.50
Autowash clothes powder (750g) - $1.57
Dishwash fluid (500g) - $0.87
Clothing Softener (2l) - $5.40
Breakfast Cereal (250g) - $2.45
Butter (227g) - $2.18

4. Milk (1l) - $1.40
Eggs (12) - $1.80
Orange juice (1l) - $2.80
Frozen Mixed vegetables (1kg) - $6.20
Cooking oil (1l) - $3.22
Olive oil (500ml) - $8.28
Can associated with cola (355ml) - $1.00
Local Fizzy Soft Drink (1l) - $1.30
Local natural Mineral Water (5l) - $1.08
Tea Bags (200g) - $1.85
Instant espresso (100g) - $6.75
Local Ground espresso (200g) - $3.66
Salt (400g) - $0.26
Pepper (400g) - $0.35
Prices were obtained from local grocery stores, there are no big department stores to shop within.
Healthcare: General specialist Consultation rates, medical center Private Ward daily , Rate, Non-
Prescription medication , Private Medical Insurance or Medical Aid Contributions
GP Private rate go to with meds - $3.50
Hospital personal ward rates - $28 per day
Dentistry - Tooth extraction - $4.35
Most expats use Bupa or the Sri Lankan Equivalent
Household: House or Flat Mortgage, house / Flat leasing , Household Electricity usage , Household
Gas or Fuel Consumption, household Water Consumption, local Property Rates or Taxes / Levies
Rent 2 bed condo City Centre - $700
Rent 2 bed Apartment outside of city Centre - $600
Electricity, Gas, Water, garbage per - $80 to $90 monthly for an average
household, this really is expensive when taking household
air conditioning into account
Gas / energy - 12 ½ kg bottle - $14
Local property prices - 8 to 10% of value associated with property
Expats cannot purchase a property directly, this has to be done via a Lawyer who owns the property.
Mortgage for locals is 4/5%. This is when most expats find the costs creep within , running the air hair
conditioners is extremely expensive as well as the cost of water.
Miscellaneous: Domestic Help, dried out Cleaning, Linen, office supplies online , Newspapers and
magazines , Postage Stamps
Domestic prices - full time per person - $80 average
1 Black ink jet printer cartridge - $14
1 Color ink jet printer cartridge - $21
500 sheets inkjet printer paper - $5.23

5. Local Daily paper - $0.17
International Daily Newspaper - $0.45
International magazine - $20
International Airmail Stamps - $0.22
Domestic Stamps - $0.12
Domestic help is cheap and most employees either live on the property or close by. Office supplies
online are reasonable, along with CD's and digital video disks freely available on the street where
most locals buy them.
Personal treatment : Cosmetics, Haircare, moisturizer / Sun Block, diapers , Pain Relief Tablets,
mouthwash , Toothpaste, Soap or Shampoo / Conditioner
Body lotion (400ml) Vaseline Intensive car - $4.53
Toilet paper 1 ply per roll - $0.50
Toothpaste (200g) - $1.92
Shampoo (200ml) - $2.40
Some of the items that can be purchased can be expensive, like creams, sunblocks as well as
cosmetic creams. NAme brand products are the most expensive.
Recreation and Culture: Books, Camera Film, cinema Ticket, DVD as well as CD's, Sports goods ,
Theatre Ticket
Books paper back - $10
Cinema ticket - $0.50
DVD / cd Imported - $2
Cricket ticket - $0.50 to $8
Theatre Ticket - just in Colombo - $30
Hard cover publications are expensive in the country, however paper back publications are of a
comparable cost to the us and UK. Cinema tickets are inexpensive due to the availability of
inexpensive DVD replicas which can be bought on street corners. International cricket tickets are also
held cheap for the local population.
Restaurants or Meals out or Hotels: Business dinner , Dinner at cafe (non fast food), hotel Rates,
Take Away beverages & Snacks (fast food )
Business Dinner excl Alcohol - $22 per person
Dinner or lunch at local restaurant - $8 per person
McDonalds big Mac - $4.10
Hotel Rates 3* - $8 to $50 pppn
Hotel prices 4* - $80 to $120 pppn
Hotel Rates 5* - $140 pppn upwards
Take away - may of cola x 1 - $0.70
Medium pizza - $3.50
Hamburger - $2.00
Coffee - pot x 3 cups - $1.40

6. As in most countries how much you pay for any meal is dependent upon where you go, the
neighborhood restaurants have great local meals, in addition to international flavours, we found a
fabulous vegetarian restaurant in Galle, well worth a visit and all prices were fairly cheap. Some
restaurants do take advantage of the tourist population and serve sub standard meals. However,
most restaurants were good using their portions and diet plans.
Transport: Hire purchase / Lease associated with Vehicle, Petrol or Diesel, Public Transport, support
Maintenance, Tyres, automobile Insurance, Vehicle Purchase
Hire / Lease vehicle - Sedan Toyota Corolla - $37.14 per day for 1 week
Hire or Lease car - Toyota RAV4 - $46.71 per day for 1 week
Petrol unleaded per litre - $1.23
Diesel per litre - $0.64
Bus solution (one way) - $1.00
Taxi Ride - per km - $0.50
Tuc Tuc - 10 kilometres ride - $6.00
Train Ticket 2nd class - $1.57
If you are visiting I would suggest you use the local taxis and tuc-tucs, driving can be a head-ache
and unpleasant experience if you are not used to the neighborhood norms. However, speeds do not
go over 80km on the bigger roads and overall a safe place to drive.
The above detail are some of the items form the foundation of the cost of living indexes for each
basket team in the Xpatulator calculators , these costs tend to be then used with their indexes and
forex rates to calculate the price of living in different areas.
For more information upon Sri Lanka find out more at www.xpatulator.com/outside.cfm.
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