Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $275 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Bali, Indonesia
Jaffna
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$275
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,187
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Bali

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

A single person spends $275 per month in Jaffna vs $1,187 in Bali, rent included.

  • Jaffna $275
  • Bali $1,187

A couple spends around $515 per month in Jaffna vs $2,004 in Bali, rent included.

  • Jaffna $515
  • Bali $2,004

A family of three spends $756 per month in Jaffna vs $2,822 in Bali, rent included.

  • Jaffna $756
  • Bali $2,822

Jaffna is about 77% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jaffna and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Jaffna 80% lower, Bali 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.06 LKR 354
$2.80 Rp 50.6K
-62.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.86 LKR 12.9K
$28.85 Rp 520.8K
34.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.44 LKR 1,478
$4.76 Rp 86.0K
-6.72%
Cappuccino
$3.29 LKR 1,093
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
47.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 LKR 556
$1.30 Rp 23.4K
28.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 LKR 162
$0.56 Rp 10.2K
-12.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 LKR 1,150
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
55.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.11 LKR 2,032
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
72.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.66 LKR 220
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
-53.19%
White Bread (500g)
$0.46 LKR 152
$2.18 Rp 39.4K
-78.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.61 LKR 203
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
-41.90%
Eggs
$1.15 LKR 382
$1.92 Rp 34.7K
-40.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.63 LKR 1,539
$14.84 Rp 267.9K
-68.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.95 LKR 981
$3.86 Rp 69.7K
-23.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.06 LKR 2,016
$10.69 Rp 192.9K
-43.31%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 LKR 1,171
$3.34 Rp 60.2K
5.39%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 LKR 196
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
-59.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 LKR 989
$2.22 Rp 40.1K
33.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 LKR 509
$1.80 Rp 32.6K
-15.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 LKR 506
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
-11.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 LKR 242
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
-67.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 LKR 194
$0.92 Rp 16.5K
-36.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 LKR 104
$0.46 Rp 8,308
-32.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.19 LKR 4,053
$2.06 Rp 37.1K
491.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.34 LKR 6,097
$20.38 Rp 367.8K
-10.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.94 LKR 977
$2.16 Rp 39.1K
36.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.85 Rp 51.4K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 LKR 104
$0.25 Rp 4,531
24.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$3.06 LKR 1,018
$8.68 Rp 156.7K
-64.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 LKR 146
$0.44 Rp 7,956
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.25 LKR 83.8
$0.43 Rp 7,766
-41.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.38 Rp 97.2K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 LKR 412
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
45.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$23.7K Rp 428.5M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.1K LKR 15.0M
$32.9K Rp 592.9M
37.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$6.33 Rp 114.2K
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$18.93 Rp 341.6K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$41.65 Rp 751.7K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.78 Rp 266.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$3.58 Rp 64.6K
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$437 Rp 7.9M
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.0K Rp 199.2M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$43.09 Rp 777.7K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$33.51 Rp 604.8K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$957 Rp 17.3M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$570 Rp 10.3M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,028 Rp 54.6M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,446 Rp 26.1M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,096 Rp 37.8M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,885 Rp 34.0M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jaffna
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$215 Rp 3.9M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
13.78
-

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

Last update for Jaffna: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jaffna
–
Bali
$570
Groceries & Markets
Jaffna
–
Bali
$263
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jaffna
–
Bali
$102
Clothing & Footwear
Jaffna
–
Bali
$101
Eating Out
Jaffna
–
Bali
$89
Sport & Entertainment
Jaffna
–
Bali
$49
Getting Around
Jaffna
–
Bali
$12

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Jaffna versus $29 in Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Jaffna vs $263 in Bali – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Jaffna
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
20:00 8:00 PM
22:30 10:30 PM
2 h 30 min ahead of Jaffna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
600,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jaffna Bali 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jaffna
  • Bali

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 Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jaffna or Bali?
Bali costs about 332% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Jaffna and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $412 per month in Jaffna and $1,780 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Jaffna compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $275 in Jaffna and $1,187 in Bali. That makes Jaffna about 77% cheaper.
How do dining costs compare in Jaffna and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Jaffna and $29 in Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Jaffna or Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $275 in Jaffna to $1,187 in Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Jaffna compared to Bali?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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