Key Facts: Eritrea vs Sri Lanka Wages
- Eritrea Minimum Wage
- Nfk600/mo ($40 USD)
- Sri Lanka Minimum Wage
- Rs135/hr ($0.45 USD)
- Eritrea Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- Nfk6,000 /mo ($400 USD)
- Sri Lanka Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- Rs55,000 /mo ($183.95 USD)
- Data Sources
- ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / OHCHR Eritrea reports (2026-02-25), Department of Labour — Sri Lanka; 2025 figure verified via Wikipedia List of countries by minimum wage (eff 2025-04-01) (2026-05-04)
Eritrea 
Sri Lanka
Updated 2026-05-04
The minimum wage in Eritrea is roughly 89 times higher than in Sri Lanka in USD terms, reflecting the gap between a low-income and a lower-middle-income economy. Average gross salaries diverge further: $400/mo in Eritrea versus $184/mo in Sri Lanka, a 2.2:1 ratio.
Eritrea's unemployment rate is 6.0% compared to Sri Lanka's 4.0%.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Eritrea | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /hr | — | Rs135 $0.45 |
| Minimum wage /day | — | Rs1,080 $3.61 |
| Minimum wage /mo | Nfk600 $40 | Rs27,000 $90.30 |
| Minimum wage /yr | — | Rs324,000 $1,083.61 |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | Nfk6,000 /mo $400 | Rs55,000 /mo $183.95 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | Nfk5,400 /mo $360 | Rs49,500 /mo $165.55 |
| Median individual income /yr | N/A/yr | Rs420,000 /yr $1,404.68 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Eritrea is higher.
Work Week
- Eritrea
-
44 hrs/wk standard
Labour Law sets 44 hours/week for civilian workers (8 hours/day, 5.5 days). However, the national service program operates under military regulations outside normal labour law. No reliable enforcement or monitoring data is available.
- Sri Lanka
-
45 hrs/wk standard
Max 45 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Shop and Office Employees Act limits hours to 8 per day and 45 per week for commercial establishments. Factories Ordinance limits factory workers to similar hours. Overtime is paid at 1.5x the ordinary rate. Different rules apply to plantation workers and domestic workers. Public holidays: approximately 25 per year (Sri Lanka has one of the highest numbers of public holidays globally).
What This Means for Workers
A minimum wage worker moving from Sri Lanka to Eritrea would see a 8759% increase in USD-equivalent hourly earnings. Standard work weeks differ: Eritrea mandates 44 hours while Sri Lanka mandates 45 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in Eritrea are $1,760 vs $20 in Sri Lanka.
See this comparison from Sri Lanka's perspective: Sri Lanka vs Eritrea
Compare Eritrea with...
Eritrea vs United States $ 7.25 /hr 
Eritrea vs China ¥ 25 /hr 
Eritrea vs Germany € 13.9 /hr 
Eritrea vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr 
Eritrea vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo 
Eritrea vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr 
Eritrea vs France € 12.02 /hr 
Eritrea vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr 
Eritrea vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr 
Eritrea vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr 
Eritrea vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr 
Eritrea vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr 
Eritrea vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo 
Eritrea vs Indonesia Rp 33,058 /hr 
Eritrea vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr 
Eritrea vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr 
Eritrea vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr 
Eritrea vs Taiwan NT$ 190 /hr 
Eritrea vs Switzerland 
Eritrea vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr 
Eritrea vs Thailand ฿ 10,400 /mo 
Eritrea vs Sweden 
Eritrea vs Argentina ARS 1,762 /hr 
Eritrea vs Singapore Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in Eritrea or Sri Lanka?
In Eritrea, the minimum wage is Nfk600/mo ($40 USD). In Sri Lanka, it is Rs135/hr ($0.45 USD). Eritrea has the higher rate by 8759% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Sri Lanka may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.
How much more does the average worker earn in Eritrea compared to Sri Lanka?
The average gross salary in Eritrea is Nfk6,000/mo ($400 USD), compared to Rs55,000/mo ($183.95 USD) in Sri Lanka. In USD terms, workers in Eritrea earn approximately 117% more. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Eritrea and Sri Lanka is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Eritrea earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Sri Lanka.
How do work hours compare between Eritrea and Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka has a longer standard work week at 45 hours, compared to 44 hours in Eritrea. Workers in Eritrea work 44 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Eritrea working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.