Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Badulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $541 in Badulla, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. The total is higher in Badulla despite lower rent and utilities.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Badulla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Jaffna versus $541 in Badulla.

Jaffna $484
Badulla $541

Estimated couple costs with rent: $774 in Jaffna versus $870 in Badulla.

Jaffna $774
Badulla $870

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Jaffna versus $1,199 in Badulla.

Jaffna $1,063
Badulla $1,199

Living in Jaffna costs roughly 11% less than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jaffna 64% lower, Badulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 LKR 342

$3.70 LKR 1,230

-72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

$24.42 LKR 8,118

65.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 LKR 1,533

$7.50 LKR 2,492

-38.53%

Cappuccino

$3.21 LKR 1,067

$2.46 LKR 818

30.49%

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

$1.66 LKR 552

$0.72 LKR 238

130.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 LKR 161

$0.27 LKR 89.9

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 LKR 1,195

$2.22 LKR 738

61.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 LKR 2,009

$3.08 LKR 1,025

96.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.63 LKR 543

-56.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.53 LKR 177

-13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$0.62 LKR 206

3.23%

Eggs

$1.35 LKR 448

$1.65 LKR 548

-18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,466

$13.58 LKR 4,515

-67.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LKR 1,057

$3.54 LKR 1,176

-10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$7.37 LKR 2,451

-17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 LKR 1,217

$6.68 LKR 2,222

-45.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.81 LKR 268

-41.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 LKR 978

$4.50 LKR 1,497

-34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 LKR 489

$1.28 LKR 425

14.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 323

$1.00 LKR 333

-3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$0.82 LKR 274

-24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 LKR 193

$0.94 LKR 314

-38.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.43 LKR 142

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 LKR 3,787

$10.29 LKR 3,422

10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.40 LKR 6,116

$12.58 LKR 4,183

46.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 LKR 826

$1.91 LKR 634

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 976

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

$0.38 LKR 126

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.4

$0.37 LKR 124

-32.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 433

$1.39 LKR 461

-6.47%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

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

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

$40.8K LKR 13.6M

9.76%

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

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

-23.51%

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

$2.94 LKR 977

$4.29 LKR 1,425

-31.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,929

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$1.78 LKR 593

$4.52 LKR 1,503

-60.62%

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

$37.89 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

$18.20 LKR 6,052

100.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,536

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 LKR 25.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 LKR 49.8K

$74.7 LKR 24.8K

100.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.7K

$45.64 LKR 15.2K

201.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 LKR 73.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 65.1K

$90.2 LKR 30.0K

117.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,517 LKR 1.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$759 LKR 252.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 LKR 75.5K

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 Badulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$228 42.1%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$103 19%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$84 15.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$69 12.8%

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$46 8.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

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 $150 in Jaffna and $75 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40 in Jaffna vs $24 in Badulla. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $228, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jaffna Badulla 320 km

From you

Jaffna
Badulla

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is about 11% 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 $812 in Badulla 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: $150 in Jaffna versus $75 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Badulla. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $24 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.

Safety-wise, Jaffna and Badulla are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.