Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Anuradhapura

For one person, living costs are similar in Jaffna and in Anuradhapura: $486 and $506 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Anuradhapura
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Anuradhapura Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$486

/mo nomad

Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Anuradhapura

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 Anuradhapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $486 per month in Jaffna vs $506 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Jaffna $486
Anuradhapura $506

A couple spends around $774 per month in Jaffna vs $820 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Jaffna $774
Anuradhapura $820

A family of three spends $1,063 per month in Jaffna vs $1,134 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Jaffna $1,063
Anuradhapura $1,134

Jaffna is about 4% cheaper than Anuradhapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jaffna and Anuradhapura are more affordable than the global median – Jaffna 64% lower, Anuradhapura 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.04 LKR 345

$3.75 LKR 1,242

-72.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.54 LKR 13.1K

$24.57 LKR 8,139

60.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 LKR 1,544

$7.52 LKR 2,490

-38.03%

Cappuccino

$3.22 LKR 1,065

$2.44 LKR 810

31.97%

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

$1.60 LKR 531

$0.68 LKR 227

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LKR 173

$0.27 LKR 89.9

92.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 LKR 1,183

$2.23 LKR 738

60.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 LKR 1,983

$2.99 LKR 990

100.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 LKR 224

$1.61 LKR 534

-57.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 LKR 161

$0.57 LKR 189

-15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$0.81 LKR 269

-20.99%

Eggs

$1.40 LKR 464

$1.63 LKR 541

-14.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.45 LKR 1,474

$13.86 LKR 4,590

-67.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 LKR 1,058

$4.92 LKR 1,630

-34.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 LKR 1,959

$7.26 LKR 2,405

-18.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 LKR 1,233

$6.67 LKR 2,208

-44.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.50 LKR 166

$0.86 LKR 286

-41.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 LKR 1,016

$4.46 LKR 1,476

-31.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LKR 491

$1.26 LKR 418

17.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 327

$1.00 LKR 330

-1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$0.83 LKR 274

-25.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 LKR 207

$0.93 LKR 308

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.43 LKR 142

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.67 LKR 3,865

$10.39 LKR 3,441

12.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.26 LKR 6,047

$13.07 LKR 4,330

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 LKR 848

$1.96 LKR 648

30.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 961

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,020

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 155

$0.40 LKR 134

17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 LKR 75.5

$0.37 LKR 123

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 430

$1.34 LKR 443

-2.99%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

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

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

14.27%

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

$45.41 LKR 15.0K

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

-22.32%

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

$2.95 LKR 977

$4.23 LKR 1,401

-30.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.09 LKR 6,984

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.97 LKR 1,977

Cinema Ticket

$1.84 LKR 609

$4.41 LKR 1,460

-58.28%

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

$38.06 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.40 LKR 12.1K

$18.46 LKR 6,115

97.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,515

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.98 LKR 13.9K

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)

$224 LKR 74.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 64.9K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

$237 46.9%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

$103 20.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

$84 16.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

$71 14%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

$8.8 * 1.7%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

$2.3 * 0.5%

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Anuradhapura

- * 0%

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 $40.00 in Jaffna versus $25.00 in Anuradhapura. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Jaffna vs $237 in Anuradhapura – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

Same time as Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

63,200

💱 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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Jaffna Anuradhapura 150 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 Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $486 in Jaffna, $506 in Anuradhapura – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $729 per month in Jaffna and $759 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $486 in Jaffna and $506 in Anuradhapura. That's a gap of about 4%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $486 in Jaffna and $506 in Anuradhapura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Jaffna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Anuradhapura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.