Job Discussion Forums

Yorks Lad · Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 93 Location: England

I've seen the British Council are advertising for Colombo, Sri Lanka. This deal sounds almost too good to be true - �400 in sterling per month plus about �1200 in country. Surely that's a huge wage by local standards and should give you a very good lifestyle? Does anyone have comments or insights?

Many thanks.

The Noodles · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 202 Location: China, Chengdu

Between 1200-1500 + 400, just saw that myself. Came back from a trip to Sri Lanka over Christmas and figure you can save about 12K pounds sterling a year. That's leading a pretty lavish lifestyle as well! 1000rps for tuktuk a day, plus 1000rps on food a day and you don't have to spend that much at all for either!

Shame i didn't really like Colombo. Sad

Yorks Lad · Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 93 Location: England

Do you mind if I ask what you didn't like about Colombo? I've never been. I imagine it's like many third world cities with pollution, traffic chaos etc. Is there anything else I should be aware of before I apply?

The Noodles · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 202 Location: China, Chengdu

Oh no there were some lovely quiet parts as well, like Cinnamon Square (which isn't actually a square at all but a whopping great district) I suppose I was only there for 1 day and it didn't wow me like some of the other places i went to in Sri Lanka.

It seemed dispersed for no particular reason. Now the thing is, if I lived there, I'd probably have a very different opinion of the place and it's not too far away from the Southern city of Galle which is quite a sight to behold, if not a little bit on the quiet side.

Actually, I did have the best Biriyani i've ever tasted in Colombo and it cost something like 180rps. It wasn't a restaurant as such more like a shop with to great big clay pots at the front. You could tell it was good because all the tuktuk drivers were stopping off to get some.

oxi · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 347 Location: elsewhere

I'll just throw my bit in here, even though I don't have much first hand info. I've known 3 BC workers in Sri Lanka. They all loved it and lived in large houses, but they worked in Kandy and said it's much better than Colombo. They didn't get out of Sri Lanka much with what they saved.

Personally, I spent one week in Colombo waiting on my visa to India and couldn't get out of the city much. A bit polluted, not terrible. Lots of touts trying to rip me off, but not very well - it even became entertaining to pretend I was interested in what they were selling.

For me it's a choice of:-
1) enough money to live really well locally, but not earning tons for international travel.
2) try Korea, Hong Kong, etc and live ok, but save more for travelling outside. (I'm in HK)