Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $541 in Badulla, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. The total is higher in Badulla despite lower rent and utilities.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
Learn more

Badulla Living Index

Jump to prices

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$541

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Badulla 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 Badulla and in Jaffna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $541 in Badulla versus $484 in Jaffna.

Badulla $541
Jaffna $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $870 in Badulla versus $774 in Jaffna.

Badulla $870
Jaffna $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,199 in Badulla versus $1,063 in Jaffna.

Badulla $1,199
Jaffna $1,063

Living in Badulla is roughly 12% more expensive than in Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Badulla 60% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 LKR 1,230

$1.03 LKR 342

259.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 LKR 8,118

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-39.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 LKR 2,492

$4.61 LKR 1,533

62.69%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 818

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-23.36%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$1.66 LKR 552

-56.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.48 LKR 161

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 738

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-38.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

$6.04 LKR 2,009

-49.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$0.71 LKR 236

129.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 177

$0.46 LKR 152

15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 206

$0.64 LKR 212

-3.13%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$1.35 LKR 448

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 LKR 4,515

$4.41 LKR 1,466

207.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 LKR 1,176

$3.18 LKR 1,057

11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,451

$6.09 LKR 2,026

21.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 LKR 2,222

$3.66 LKR 1,217

82.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.47 LKR 156

72.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 LKR 1,497

$2.94 LKR 978

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$1.47 LKR 489

-12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 333

$0.97 LKR 323

3.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 274

$0.62 LKR 205

32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.58 LKR 193

62.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.39 LKR 131

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 LKR 3,422

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-9.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 LKR 4,183

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$2.48 LKR 826

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 976

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)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.47 LKR 157

-19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.25 LKR 83.4

48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.30 LKR 433

6.92%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

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

$40.8K LKR 13.6M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-8.89%

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

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

30.74%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,425

$2.94 LKR 977

45.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,929

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 LKR 1,503

$1.78 LKR 593

153.93%

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

$37.89 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.20 LKR 6,052

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-50.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,536

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 LKR 25.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 LKR 24.8K

$150 LKR 49.8K

-50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.64 LKR 15.2K

$138 LKR 45.7K

-66.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 LKR 73.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 30.0K

$196 LKR 65.1K

-53.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,517 LKR 1.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$759 LKR 252.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 LKR 75.5K

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 Badulla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$228 42.1%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Badulla

$103 19%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$84 15.6%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$69 12.8%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$46 8.4%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Jaffna

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75 in Badulla and $150 in Jaffna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Badulla vs $40 in Jaffna. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $168, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

Same time as Badulla

🌤 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Badulla Jaffna 320 km

From you

Badulla
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

Badulla vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $812 in Badulla 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $75 in Badulla versus $150 in Jaffna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Badulla. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $24 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.

Safety-wise, Badulla and Jaffna are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.