Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $275 a month against $777 in Bentota, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$275

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Bentota

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $275 in Jaffna versus $777 in Bentota.

Jaffna $275
Bentota $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $515 in Jaffna versus $896 in Bentota.

Jaffna $515
Bentota $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $756 in Jaffna versus $1,014 in Bentota.

Jaffna $756
Bentota $1,014

Living in Jaffna costs roughly 65% less than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jaffna 80% lower, Bentota 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.06 LKR 354

$3.78 LKR 1,257

-71.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.86 LKR 12.9K

$12.00 LKR 3,992

223.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.44 LKR 1,478

$7.36 LKR 2,447

-39.67%

Cappuccino

$3.29 LKR 1,093

$2.47 LKR 822

33.20%

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

$1.67 LKR 556

$0.71 LKR 236

135.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 LKR 162

$0.25 LKR 83.1

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 LKR 1,150

$2.19 LKR 728

57.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 LKR 2,033

$3.10 LKR 1,031

97.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 LKR 220

$1.57 LKR 523

-57.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.52 LKR 174

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 LKR 203

$0.80 LKR 267

-23.75%

Eggs

$1.15 LKR 382

$1.65 LKR 549

-30.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 LKR 1,540

$15.18 LKR 5,049

-69.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 LKR 982

$3.36 LKR 1,119

-12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.06 LKR 2,017

$4.47 LKR 1,488

35.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 LKR 1,172

$6.76 LKR 2,247

-47.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 LKR 196

$0.76 LKR 254

-22.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 LKR 989

$4.08 LKR 1,356

-27.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 LKR 509

$0.86 LKR 287

77.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 LKR 506

$1.07 LKR 357

42.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 242

$0.82 LKR 274

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 LKR 194

$1.21 LKR 402

-52.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.42 LKR 139

-26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 LKR 4,055

$10.06 LKR 3,347

21.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.34 LKR 6,099

$13.69 LKR 4,554

33.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 977

$1.90 LKR 631

54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.19 LKR 62.4

63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.06 LKR 1,018

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.38 LKR 126

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.8

$0.29 LKR 96.3

-13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 LKR 412

$1.39 LKR 461

-10.79%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.7M

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$45.0K LKR 15.0M

0.16%

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

$57.4 LKR 19.1K

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

$2.32 LKR 770

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.88 LKR 2,952

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 LKR 1,526

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

$40.65 LKR 13.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.34 LKR 6,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.33 LKR 5,763

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 LKR 181.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 100.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

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

Last update for Jaffna: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bentota: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$302 38.8%

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$223 28.7%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$103 13.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$70 9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$69 8.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$9.2 * 1.2%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Bentota

$2.6 * 0.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39 in Jaffna vs $12 in Bentota. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $223, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

Same time as Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

37,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jaffna Bentota 360 km

From you

Jaffna
Bentota

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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $412 in Jaffna and $1,166 in Bentota 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 32% higher in Bentota. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bentota – a meal for two runs $12 versus $39 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.