Sri Lanka (LK)
Sri Lanka is South Asia's most beloved island destination — a tropical tear-drop off India's southern tip offering ancient Buddhist temples, colonial hill stations, spice gardens, surf beaches, and world-renowned tea.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Sri Lanka.
🛒 Supermarkets
Part of John Keells Holdings — the most expat-friendly supermarket chain with consistently high standards, wide imported product range, and clean stores. Locations throughout Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and major cities. Accepts credit/debit cards, LankaQR. Good wine and spirits section (when not Poya day).
Sri Lanka's largest supermarket chain by number of stores (1,000+ nationwide). Good range of local and imported goods at competitive prices. Less premium atmosphere than Keells but excellent value and very wide geographical coverage. Cash and cards accepted.
Richard Pieris chain with large-format stores carrying groceries, electronics, clothing, and hardware. Good for bulk shopping and household goods. Multiple branches in Colombo and suburbs.
International chain with premium positioning — wide selection of imported European and Australian goods, deli meats, cheeses, and international brands. Popular with the expat community. Higher prices but broadest imported range.
Affordable local chain. Good for fresh produce, local products, and everyday staples. Less variety of imported goods but strong value proposition.
Opening Hours
Supermarkets: 8am–9pm daily (some 24 hours in Colombo). Shopping malls (One Galle Face, Colombo City Centre, Majestic City): 10am–9pm or 10pm. Banks: Monday–Friday 9am–3pm (some 9am–5pm); Saturday 9am–1pm; closed Sunday. Government offices: Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:30pm. Restaurants and cafés: 7am–10pm (some later). Pharmacies: 8am–9pm; Keells Super pharmacies and some private pharmacies are 24 hours. Note: Poya days (monthly full moon) — alcohol cannot be sold anywhere; some restaurants close or operate with limited menus.
Sunday Rules
No mandatory Sunday closure laws. Most supermarkets, malls, and restaurants open on Sunday — this is a popular shopping day for many Sri Lankans. Government offices and most formal businesses are closed. Poya days (full moon, falling on different days each month) function as the main commercial restriction — alcohol sales prohibited island-wide, many butcheries close. Always check whether a Poya falls on a travel day.
Recycling
Formal household waste segregation is limited. Most urban households use a single general waste bin. Colombo Municipal Council provides waste collection, typically on set days. Informal recycling is widespread — paper, cardboard, metal, and glass are bought by mobile collectors (kadala man). Plastic collection is expanding under the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) programme. Bring-to-store plastic bottle return available at some Keells and SPAR stores. No deposit-refund bottle system. Composting practical in houses with gardens.
Dining Out
Sri Lanka offers exceptional dining value at every price point. Roadside "hotels" (local eateries): LKR 250–600 for a full rice and curry meal. Mid-range restaurant: LKR 1,500–4,000 per person. Fine dining (Gallery Café, Ministry of Crab, Nuga Gama): LKR 5,000–15,000+ per person. Ministry of Crab in Colombo (Mudpot crab) is one of Asia's most celebrated restaurants. Colombo has excellent Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and international cuisine. Galle has a growing fine dining scene. Street food is safe to eat in most places but choose busy, clean stalls.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) or Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) in Colombo area. Prepaid smart meters available. Typical monthly bill for apartment: LKR 3,000–12,000 depending on AC usage. Power cuts (load shedding) occur periodically — check CEB schedule on ceb.lk. Water: National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) or Colombo Municipal Council. Monthly bill: LKR 500–2,000. Most apartments have rooftop water tanks. Internet: SLT-Mobitel, Dialog, and Hutch (now Ooredoo) offer fibre broadband: LKR 1,500–5,000/month for 25–100 Mbps. 4G mobile data: Dialog 10GB for LKR 490 (promo bundles available). Cooking gas: LP gas cylinders (Litro Gas, Shell Gas) — 12.5 kg cylinder LKR 3,000–3,500.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Poya days (monthly full moon) are national holidays — alcohol cannot be purchased anywhere. Plan grocery shopping for the day before.
- → Remove shoes before entering homes, temples, and many businesses — look for the footwear pile at the entrance.
- → The head wobble ("yes" gesture — sideways head nod) means agreement or acknowledgement, not uncertainty. Can confuse newcomers.
- → PickMe app is essential for tuk-tuks — always use metered PickMe rides to avoid overcharging and price arguments.
- → Water: do not drink tap water. Buy bottled water (Aqua Splash, Water's Edge, Elephant House) or use a filter. LKR 30–60 per 1.5L bottle.
- → Power cuts (load shedding) occur periodically — keep a power bank charged and have a torch available.
- → Bargaining is standard at markets, clothing stalls, and with tuk-tuks. Fixed prices apply at supermarkets and app-based transport.
- → Buddhist monks (orange robes) are given significant social respect — offer your seat on public transport, greet respectfully, never photograph monks from behind.
- → Eating with the right hand is traditional for rice and curry meals at local restaurants. Utensils provided everywhere.
- → December–February is peak tourist season on the west coast — prices increase and accommodation must be booked well in advance.
Postal Services
Sri Lanka Post (slpost.gov.lk) is the national postal operator, operating 688 post offices across the island. For important documents — immigration, banking, legal, visa paperwork — use DHL, FedEx or Aramex; Sri Lanka Post standard delivery can be slow and unreliable for time-sensitive items. EMS (Express Mail Service) is available through Sri Lanka Post for faster international delivery.
No widespread automated parcel locker network exists. Parcels are delivered to the door or held at the nearest post office for collection. Most courier companies (DHL, FedEx, Kapruka, Pickme) arrange collection from their branch or office if a delivery is missed. For frequent online shopping, use a reliable home address with someone available to receive.
Bring your passport or Sri Lanka NIC (National Identity Card) to collect parcels or registered mail from a post office. For SIM card registration, passport plus visa is required for foreign nationals (mandatory real-name registration). For bank account opening, passport, visa, Employment Pass or Resident Visa and an address verification letter are standard requirements.
Sri Lanka Post provides registered mail (recorded delivery) with tracking and signature on delivery. For immigration, court and banking correspondence, use registered post or a private courier with full tracking. Keep reference numbers and delivery confirmations — Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and SLTDA frequently require proof of timely submission.
Sri Lanka Post does not operate a robust automatic mail forwarding service. Before moving, notify your employer, bank, immigration department (Department of Immigration and Emigration) and the Inland Revenue Department of address changes directly. Use a trusted local contact or office address as a forwarding solution if needed.
- →DHL and FedEx deliver internationally from Colombo in 3–5 business days; reliable for visa and legal documents.
- →For domestic deliveries, Kapruka, Pickme Delivery and private couriers are faster and more trackable than Sri Lanka Post.
- →On Poya days (monthly full moon, national holiday), post offices and many courier branches close — plan time-sensitive mail around the Poya calendar.
- →Customs duties apply to imported parcels above threshold values; retain purchase invoices and declare accurately to avoid clearance delays at Bandaranaike International Airport customs.