Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentota and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $772 in Bentota, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index

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Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$772

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Bentota versus $484 in Jaffna.

Bentota $772
Jaffna $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $888 in Bentota versus $774 in Jaffna.

Bentota $888
Jaffna $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,005 in Bentota versus $1,063 in Jaffna.

Bentota $1,005
Jaffna $1,063

Living in Bentota is roughly 59% more expensive than in Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bentota 43% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 LKR 1,264

$1.03 LKR 342

268.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.01 LKR 3,992

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-70.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 LKR 2,500

$4.61 LKR 1,533

63.12%

Cappuccino

$2.39 LKR 795

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-25.55%

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

$0.72 LKR 241

$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)

$2.24 LKR 744

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-37.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 996

$6.04 LKR 2,009

-50.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 539

$0.71 LKR 236

128.17%

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

$1.70 LKR 565

$1.35 LKR 448

25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 LKR 4,559

$4.41 LKR 1,466

210.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 LKR 1,100

$3.18 LKR 1,057

4.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.40 LKR 1,464

$6.09 LKR 2,026

-27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 LKR 2,229

$3.66 LKR 1,217

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 247

$0.47 LKR 156

57.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,421

$2.94 LKR 978

45.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 294

$1.47 LKR 489

-40.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$0.97 LKR 323

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 262

$0.62 LKR 205

27.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 309

$0.58 LKR 193

60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.39 LKR 131

17.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 LKR 3,383

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-29.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 LKR 637

$2.48 LKR 826

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,015

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 62.3

$0.29 LKR 95.8

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.47 LKR 157

-21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.25 LKR 83.4

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.30 LKR 433

1.54%

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

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

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

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-8.04%

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

$57.9 LKR 19.3K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

27.83%

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

$2.30 LKR 764

$2.94 LKR 977

-21.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 LKR 3,093

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 LKR 1,546

$1.78 LKR 593

161.24%

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

$38.46 LKR 12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,196 LKR 397.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.92 LKR 5,959

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-50.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.78 LKR 5,577

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.02 LKR 14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 LKR 184.0K

$150 LKR 49.8K

269.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 LKR 99.8K

$138 LKR 45.7K

118.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 LKR 73.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 65.1K

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 Bentota: October 24, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bentota

$300 38.9%

Jaffna

–

Groceries & Markets

Bentota

$217 28.2%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Bentota

$103 13.3%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bentota

$70 9.1%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentota

$70 9%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bentota

$9.3 * 1.2%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Bentota

$2.7 * 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 $553 in Bentota and $150 in Jaffna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12 in Bentota vs $40 in Jaffna. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $168, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bentota

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Bentota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,000

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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Bentota Jaffna 360 km

From you

Bentota
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

Bentota vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,158 in Bentota 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: $553 in Bentota versus $150 in Jaffna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Bentota. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bentota – a meal for two runs $12 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.