Remittance corridor · World Bank RPW · 2025Q1
United Arab Emirates → Sri Lanka
What it really costs to send money from United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka, with the cheapest provider on record and the gap to the UN's 3% target.
- 2.4%
- Average cost
- 0.7%
- Cheapest · DirectRemit (NBD)
- 8
- Providers tracked
The verdict
At 2.4%, this is one of the more affordable corridors we track, cheaper than 95% of them, but the cheapest provider charges just 0.7% - switching saves about $3.36 on every $200 sent.
- 2.4%
- average cost of a $200 transfer
- -4.3pp
- vs the 6.7% average of 322 corridors
- Met
- gap to the UN 3% target
- $40/yr
- saved by switching to the cheapest, 12 transfers
Compared against the 322 corridors we actually track, not a generic headline figure.
How United Arab Emirates → Sri Lanka compares
Average cost of a $200 transfer, percent, lower is cheaper
2.41% average - target met
Cost trend: United Arab Emirates → Sri Lanka
Average and cheapest cost of a $200 transfer over time, percent
Sending Country
Receiving Country
Nearby Corridors from United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates is one of the most connected sending markets in our data, with 11 tracked outbound corridors. The 8 below span the widest cost range, from the cheapest to send anywhere from United Arab Emirates through to the most expensive.
| # | Destination | Avg cost | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nepal | 2.9% | 1.2% |
| 2 | Sudan | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| 3 | Philippines | 3.0% | 1.0% |
| 4 | Egypt | 3.1% | 1.1% |
| 5 | South Sudan | 3.3% | 2.5% |
| 6 | India | 3.7% | 1.1% |
| 7 | Pakistan | 3.8% | 0.1% |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 6.2% | 5.2% |
What the United Arab Emirates → Sri Lanka Data Tells Us
Sending money from United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka currently costs an average of 2.41% of the transfer amount, according to World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) data as of 2025Q1. That is 4.3 percentage points below the 6.7% average of the 322 corridors we track, and well under the World Bank's reported global average of about 6.4% - a relatively affordable route. It also meets the UN SDG 10.c target of 3% or below, an outcome only a minority of the world's corridors currently achieve.
On the cheapest end of the market, DirectRemit (NBD) delivers this corridor at 0.73% - the floor price a United Arab Emirates-based sender can realistically access today. The full panel includes 8 tracked providers.
Annual corridor volume is not separately reported for this route in the current release, but reducing transfer costs on any route translates directly into more money reaching recipient households. Costs on this route have stayed essentially flat, moving 0.29 percentage points over the tracked period, unusual stability against the broader downward trend seen on most corridors.
Across the 53 quarters of World Bank RPW data on record for this corridor, the average cost has ranged from 1.8% to 4.6%, and 28 of those 53 quarters (53%) met the UN SDG 3% target outright. Quarter-to-quarter pricing has moved moderately (0.58pp standard deviation across the full record).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to send money from United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka?
The average cost to send money from United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka is 2.41% of the transfer amount, based on World Bank RPW data as of 2025Q1. The cheapest available option is 0.73% via DirectRemit (NBD). Costs are calculated as a percentage of a $200 transfer and include both service fees and exchange rate margins.
What is the cheapest way to send money from United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka?
Based on World Bank RPW data, the cheapest service for the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka corridor charges 0.73% - currently DirectRemit (NBD). A total of 8 providers are tracked on this corridor. Always compare rates directly with providers before sending, as prices change frequently.
Is the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka corridor meeting the UN SDG cost target?
Yes. At 2.4%, this corridor already meets the UN Sustainable Development Goal 10.c target of 3% or below, an outcome only a minority of the world's tracked corridors currently achieve.
Source: World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) Database (2011-2025) World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) Database (2011-2025)
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainRemit is rendered directly from World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.