Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $453 a month against $486 in Jaffna, rent and utilities included – about $400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jaffna outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index

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Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$453

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Gampaha versus $486 in Jaffna.

Gampaha $453
Jaffna $486

Estimated couple costs with rent: $768 in Gampaha versus $774 in Jaffna.

Gampaha $768
Jaffna $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,083 in Gampaha versus $1,063 in Jaffna.

Gampaha $1,083
Jaffna $1,063

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 7% less than in Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gampaha 67% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 LKR 609

$1.04 LKR 345

76.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.22 LKR 6,034

$39.54 LKR 13.1K

-53.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,721

$4.66 LKR 1,544

11.59%

Cappuccino

$1.24 LKR 410

$3.22 LKR 1,065

-61.49%

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

$0.53 LKR 176

$1.60 LKR 531

-66.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.1

$0.52 LKR 173

-51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 LKR 701

$3.57 LKR 1,183

-40.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,010

$5.99 LKR 1,983

-49.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$0.68 LKR 224

139.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 LKR 135

$0.48 LKR 161

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$0.64 LKR 212

14.06%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$1.40 LKR 464

17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 LKR 4,607

$4.45 LKR 1,474

212.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 LKR 1,334

$3.20 LKR 1,058

25.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,460

$5.91 LKR 1,959

25.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 LKR 1,972

$3.72 LKR 1,233

59.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$0.50 LKR 166

64.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 LKR 1,493

$3.07 LKR 1,016

46.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 436

$1.48 LKR 491

-10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 LKR 314

$0.99 LKR 327

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 277

$0.62 LKR 205

35.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 94.8

$0.63 LKR 207

-53.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 LKR 114

$0.39 LKR 131

-12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 LKR 3,273

$11.67 LKR 3,865

-15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.04 LKR 4,319

$18.26 LKR 6,047

-28.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 LKR 447

$2.56 LKR 848

-47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 LKR 808

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$0.31 LKR 103

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,020

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.0

$0.47 LKR 155

-38.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$0.23 LKR 75.5

56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 295

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 LKR 388

$1.30 LKR 430

-10.00%

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

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

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

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

-12.86%

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

$27.15 LKR 8,994

$45.41 LKR 15.0K

-40.21%

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

$2.99 LKR 991

$2.95 LKR 977

1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.85 LKR 3,592

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.73 LKR 2,561

$5.97 LKR 1,977

29.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LKR 1,508

$1.84 LKR 609

147.28%

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

$14.93 LKR 4,944

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$121 LKR 40.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,054

$36.40 LKR 12.1K

-49.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 LKR 2,987

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 LKR 19.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.95 LKR 7,933

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 29.9K

$154 LKR 51.0K

-41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.4 LKR 18.7K

$138 LKR 45.7K

-59.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 100.2K

$224 LKR 74.2K

35.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 LKR 54.0K

$196 LKR 64.9K

-16.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 LKR 76.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Gampaha: 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

Gampaha

$221 48.7%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.3%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$56 12.5%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$50 11%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$17 3.7%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.2 * 0.7%

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 $90.2 in Gampaha and $154 in Jaffna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Gampaha vs $40.00 in Jaffna. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $169, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

Same time as Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gampaha Jaffna 290 km

From you

Gampaha
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

Gampaha vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha and Jaffna differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($453 vs $486 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $680 in Gampaha and $729 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: $90.2 in Gampaha versus $154 in Jaffna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $40.00 in Jaffna. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $453 per month in Gampaha versus $486 in Jaffna – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Gampaha 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, Gampaha and Jaffna are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Jaffna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.