Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $502 in Amparai, rent and utilities included – about $220 less a year. The total is higher in Amparai despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Amparai
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Amparai Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Amparai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Jaffna versus $502 in Amparai.

Jaffna $484
Amparai $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $774 in Jaffna versus $814 in Amparai.

Jaffna $774
Amparai $814

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Jaffna versus $1,126 in Amparai.

Jaffna $1,063
Amparai $1,126

Living in Jaffna costs roughly 3% less than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jaffna 64% lower, Amparai 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 LKR 342

$3.79 LKR 1,261

-72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

$24.61 LKR 8,183

64.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 LKR 1,533

$7.42 LKR 2,467

-37.87%

Cappuccino

$3.21 LKR 1,067

$2.48 LKR 824

29.44%

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

$1.66 LKR 552

$0.67 LKR 221

147.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 LKR 161

$0.27 LKR 90.4

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 LKR 1,195

$2.25 LKR 749

59.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 LKR 2,009

$2.94 LKR 978

105.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.64 LKR 544

-56.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.53 LKR 176

-13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$0.81 LKR 269

-20.99%

Eggs

$1.35 LKR 448

$1.72 LKR 573

-21.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,466

$13.94 LKR 4,636

-68.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LKR 1,057

$5.01 LKR 1,666

-36.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$7.61 LKR 2,529

-19.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 LKR 1,217

$6.65 LKR 2,210

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.86 LKR 287

-45.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 LKR 978

$4.30 LKR 1,429

-31.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 LKR 489

$1.27 LKR 422

15.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 323

$1.05 LKR 349

-7.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$0.83 LKR 276

-25.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 LKR 193

$0.94 LKR 314

-38.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.42 LKR 139

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 LKR 3,787

$10.34 LKR 3,439

10.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.40 LKR 6,116

$12.93 LKR 4,298

42.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 LKR 826

$1.96 LKR 653

26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 973

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)

$0.47 LKR 157

$0.37 LKR 125

27.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.4

$0.37 LKR 124

-32.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 433

$1.34 LKR 447

-2.99%

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

$44.5K LKR 14.8M

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

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

8.71%

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

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

-24.07%

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

$2.94 LKR 977

$4.23 LKR 1,407

-30.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.72 LKR 6,887

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$1.78 LKR 593

$1.84 LKR 610

-3.26%

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

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 407.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

$18.05 LKR 6,002

101.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 LKR 5,611

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.12 LKR 14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 LKR 49.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 LKR 73.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 65.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

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 Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Last update for Amparai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Amparai

$239 47.5%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Amparai

$103 20.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Amparai

$85 16.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Amparai

$70 13.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Amparai

$3.7 * 0.7%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Amparai

$2.2 * 0.5%

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Amparai

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $40 in Jaffna vs $25 in Amparai. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $239, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Amparai

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

Same time as Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

110,000

💱 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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Between locations

Jaffna Amparai 320 km

From you

Jaffna
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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

Jaffna vs Amparai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is about 3% 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 $727 in Jaffna and $753 in Amparai 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Amparai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Amparai – a meal for two runs $25 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.