Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Jaffna

For one person, living costs are similar in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and in Jaffna: $487 and $486 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Living Index

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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $487 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $486 in Jaffna, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $487
Jaffna $486

A couple spends around $790 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $774 in Jaffna, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $790
Jaffna $774

A family of three spends $1,093 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $1,063 in Jaffna, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,093
Jaffna $1,063

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Jaffna have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 64% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.49 LKR 494

$1.04 LKR 345

43.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.02 LKR 8,286

$39.54 LKR 13.1K

-36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 LKR 2,481

$4.66 LKR 1,544

60.73%

Cappuccino

$2.54 LKR 840

$3.22 LKR 1,065

-21.12%

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

$0.73 LKR 240

$1.60 LKR 531

-54.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.3

$0.52 LKR 173

-48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 736

$3.57 LKR 1,183

-37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 993

$5.99 LKR 1,983

-49.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 537

$0.68 LKR 224

138.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$0.48 LKR 161

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$0.64 LKR 212

26.56%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 546

$1.40 LKR 464

17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 LKR 4,614

$4.45 LKR 1,474

213.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 LKR 1,606

$3.20 LKR 1,058

51.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 LKR 2,496

$5.91 LKR 1,959

27.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 LKR 2,125

$3.72 LKR 1,233

72.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.50 LKR 166

74.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 LKR 1,448

$3.07 LKR 1,016

42.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 426

$1.48 LKR 491

-12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 332

$0.99 LKR 327

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 259

$0.62 LKR 205

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$0.63 LKR 207

39.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 149

$0.39 LKR 131

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 LKR 3,439

$11.67 LKR 3,865

-11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 LKR 4,317

$18.26 LKR 6,047

-28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 626

$2.56 LKR 848

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 994

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,020

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.47 LKR 155

-19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.23 LKR 75.5

52.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 457

$1.30 LKR 430

6.15%

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

$43.0K LKR 14.2M

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

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

-11.61%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.3K

$45.41 LKR 15.0K

28.43%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,418

$2.95 LKR 977

45.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 LKR 6,888

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.97 LKR 1,977

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 LKR 1,519

$1.84 LKR 609

149.46%

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

$38.36 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,206 LKR 399.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,116

$36.40 LKR 12.1K

-49.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.53 LKR 5,474

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.38 LKR 14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 LKR 51.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 LKR 152.2K

$224 LKR 74.2K

105.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 64.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 LKR 71.4K

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$236 48.5%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$86 17.7%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$83 17.1%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$70 14.4%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$9.2 * 1.9%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$2.1 * 0.4%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

- * 0%

Jaffna

–

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia versus $40.00 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $169 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,827

600,000

💱 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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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Jaffna 310 km

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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

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $730 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $729 in Jaffna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $40.00 in Jaffna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $487 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $486 in Jaffna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jaffna costs $486 versus $487 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Jaffna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.