Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amparai and Jaffna

For one person, living costs are similar in Amparai and in Jaffna: $502 and $484 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Amparai
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Amparai Living Index

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Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amparai and in Jaffna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amparai and in Jaffna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Amparai versus $484 in Jaffna.

Amparai $502
Jaffna $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $814 in Amparai versus $774 in Jaffna.

Amparai $814
Jaffna $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,126 in Amparai versus $1,063 in Jaffna.

Amparai $1,126
Jaffna $1,063

Living in Amparai is roughly 4% more expensive than in Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Amparai 63% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LKR 1,261

$1.03 LKR 342

267.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.61 LKR 8,183

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-39.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 LKR 2,467

$4.61 LKR 1,533

60.95%

Cappuccino

$2.48 LKR 824

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-22.74%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LKR 221

$1.66 LKR 552

-59.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.4

$0.48 LKR 161

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 978

$6.04 LKR 2,009

-51.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 544

$0.71 LKR 236

130.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.46 LKR 152

15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.64 LKR 212

26.56%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 573

$1.35 LKR 448

27.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 LKR 4,636

$4.41 LKR 1,466

216.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 LKR 1,666

$3.18 LKR 1,057

57.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 LKR 2,529

$6.09 LKR 2,026

24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.65 LKR 2,210

$3.66 LKR 1,217

81.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 287

$0.47 LKR 156

82.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 LKR 1,429

$2.94 LKR 978

46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 422

$1.47 LKR 489

-13.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$0.97 LKR 323

8.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$0.62 LKR 205

33.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.58 LKR 193

62.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

$0.39 LKR 131

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 LKR 3,439

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 LKR 4,298

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 653

$2.48 LKR 826

-20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 973

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 125

$0.47 LKR 157

-21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.25 LKR 83.4

48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 447

$1.30 LKR 433

3.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.5K LKR 14.8M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-8.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

31.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.23 LKR 1,407

$2.94 LKR 977

43.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.72 LKR 6,887

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$1.84 LKR 610

$1.78 LKR 593

3.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 407.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.05 LKR 6,002

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-50.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 LKR 5,611

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.12 LKR 14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 LKR 49.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 LKR 73.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 65.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amparai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Amparai

$239 47.5%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Amparai

$103 20.6%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amparai

$85 16.9%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Amparai

$70 13.9%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Amparai

$3.7 * 0.7%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Amparai

$2.2 * 0.5%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Amparai

- * 0%

Jaffna

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Amparai vs $40 in Jaffna. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $168, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Amparai

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

Same time as Amparai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

600,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Amparai Jaffna 320 km

From you

Amparai
Jaffna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amparai vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $753 in Amparai and $727 in Jaffna to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Amparai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Amparai – a meal for two runs $25 versus $40 in Jaffna. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Jaffna gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.