Sri Lanka: cost of living

How much is petrol in Sri Lanka?

92-octane petrol costs Rs. 414.00 a litre and auto diesel Rs. 392.00 a litre in Sri Lanka, with effect from midnight on 30 September 2026, according to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO).

95-octane petrol costs Rs. 475.00 a litre, from 30 August 2026, and super diesel Rs. 528.00, from 30 September. Kerosene is Rs. 285.00 a litre, unchanged since 30 May 2026. CEYPETCO lists the current price and the date each price took effect for every product, and keeps a page of historical prices.

Official sources: CEYPETCO: Fuel pricing

What is the poverty line in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka's official poverty line was Rs. 17,719 per person per month in August 2026, according to the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS). It is the minimum spending per person needed to meet basic needs.

The DCS publishes the line for each district every month, updated for price changes. In August 2026 it was highest in Colombo, at Rs. 19,110. The national line was Rs. 16,730 in January 2026. The latest poverty rate in the World Bank database is 14.3% of the population, for 2019, based on the DCS Household Income and Expenditure Survey.

Official sources: DCS: Official poverty lines by district, August 2026 · World Bank: Poverty headcount at national poverty lines, Sri Lanka

Are food prices rising in Sri Lanka?

Food prices in Colombo were 8.7% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, up from 8.5% in August, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, based on the Colombo Consumer Price Index.

Overall prices rose 0.19% between August and September 2026. Food contributed 0.15 percentage points of that rise, mainly from fresh fruit and big onions. The Central Bank's September 2026 Monetary Policy Review links the rise in inflation during 2026 to the pass-through of an energy price shock.

Official sources: Central Bank of Sri Lanka: CCPI inflation, September 2026 · Central Bank of Sri Lanka: Monetary Policy Review No. 5, September 2026 (PDF)

What is the inflation rate in Sri Lanka?

The latest figure from the IMF, for 2025, is -4.8%. No year since 2005 has been lower. Across South Asia the middle value was 3.1%, and Sri Lanka placed 6th highest of 6. Of 165 countries with 2025 data, 165th highest.

How much do people in Sri Lanka spend?

In 2025, household consumption per person in Sri Lanka was $3,001, according to the World Bank. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2015. Worldwide: 76th of 124.

What is the extreme poverty rate in Sri Lanka?

2.7%: that is the share of people living on less than $3.00 a day in Sri Lanka for 2019, according to the World Bank. That compares with 7.8% in 2009. Worldwide: 23rd of 77.

What share of Sri Lanka lives below the poverty line?

According to the World Bank, the share of people below the national poverty line in Sri Lanka was 14.3% in 2019. It was 28.4% in 2009. World rank, highest first: 40th of 62.

How unequal are incomes in Sri Lanka?

According to the World Bank, the Gini index in Sri Lanka was 37.7 in 2019. In 2009 the figure was 36.1. Worldwide: 23rd of 77.

How many people in Sri Lanka go hungry?

10.1%: that is moderate or severe food insecurity in Sri Lanka for 2024, according to the FAO. Since 2015 it has ranged from 5.8% (2016) to 11.4% (2022). Of 135 countries with 2024 data, 91st highest.