Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anuradhapura and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $226 a month against $506 in Anuradhapura, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Anuradhapura
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Anuradhapura Living Index

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Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Anuradhapura and in Matale

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

A single person spends $506 per month in Anuradhapura vs $226 in Matale, rent included.

Anuradhapura $506
Matale $226

A couple spends around $820 per month in Anuradhapura vs $370 in Matale, rent included.

Anuradhapura $820
Matale $370

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Anuradhapura vs $513 in Matale, rent included.

Anuradhapura $1,134
Matale $513

Anuradhapura costs about 124% more than Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Anuradhapura and Matale are more affordable than the global median – Anuradhapura 63% lower, Matale 83% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 LKR 1,242

$1.76 LKR 584

113.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.57 LKR 8,139

$8.99 LKR 2,979

173.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 LKR 2,490

$4.51 LKR 1,493

66.74%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 810

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

$0.68 LKR 227

$0.49 LKR 162

38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.22 LKR 72.8

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 738

$2.38 LKR 787

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 990

$1.86 LKR 617

60.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 LKR 534

$1.47 LKR 487

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 189

$0.46 LKR 152

23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.63 LKR 208

28.57%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.59 LKR 528

2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 LKR 4,590

$9.73 LKR 3,221

42.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 LKR 1,630

$3.59 LKR 1,189

37.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,405

$7.43 LKR 2,461

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,208

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 286

$0.56 LKR 184

53.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,476

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 418

$0.87 LKR 288

44.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 330

$0.52 LKR 173

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 274

$0.52 LKR 173

59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 LKR 3,441

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 LKR 4,330

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 648

$1.63 LKR 539

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 961

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.25 LKR 83.1

48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 443

$1.14 LKR 376

17.54%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

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

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

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

$4.23 LKR 1,401

$3.75 LKR 1,244

12.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.09 LKR 6,984

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 LKR 1,460

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

$38.06 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,115

$23.70 LKR 7,851

-22.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,515

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.98 LKR 13.9K

$10.70 LKR 3,544

292.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$43.05 LKR 14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.6 LKR 20.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 LKR 54.4K

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 Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Last update for Matale: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Anuradhapura

$237 46.9%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Anuradhapura

$103 20.3%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anuradhapura

$84 16.6%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Anuradhapura

$71 14%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Anuradhapura

$8.8 * 1.7%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Anuradhapura

$2.3 * 0.5%

Matale

–

Accommodation & Living

Anuradhapura

- * 0%

Matale

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Anuradhapura versus $9.00 in Matale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $116 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

Same time as Anuradhapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,200

40,800

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Anuradhapura Matale 99 km

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Anuradhapura
Matale

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

Anuradhapura vs Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $506 in Anuradhapura, $226 in Matale – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $759 per month in Anuradhapura and $338 in Matale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Anuradhapura and $9.00 in Matale. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $506 in Anuradhapura and $226 in Matale. That's a gap of about 124%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $506 in Anuradhapura and $226 in Matale, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Matale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Matale. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Anuradhapura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.