Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Beruwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $503 in Beruwala, rent and utilities included – about $230 less a year. The total is higher in Beruwala despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Beruwala
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Beruwala Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Beruwala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Beruwala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Jaffna versus $503 in Beruwala.

Jaffna $484
Beruwala $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $774 in Jaffna versus $816 in Beruwala.

Jaffna $774
Beruwala $816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Jaffna versus $1,129 in Beruwala.

Jaffna $1,063
Beruwala $1,129

Living in Jaffna costs roughly 4% less than in Beruwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 LKR 342

$3.79 LKR 1,258

-72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

$25.24 LKR 8,393

59.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 LKR 1,533

$7.46 LKR 2,480

-38.20%

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 222

147.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 LKR 161

$0.25 LKR 82.9

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 LKR 1,195

$2.15 LKR 715

66.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 LKR 2,009

$3.10 LKR 1,031

94.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.56 LKR 518

-54.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.54 LKR 179

-14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$0.81 LKR 269

-20.99%

Eggs

$1.35 LKR 448

$1.69 LKR 563

-20.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,466

$13.54 LKR 4,502

-67.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LKR 1,057

$4.89 LKR 1,627

-34.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$7.34 LKR 2,442

-17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 LKR 1,217

$6.50 LKR 2,161

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.85 LKR 283

-44.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 LKR 978

$4.26 LKR 1,417

-30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 LKR 489

$1.33 LKR 441

10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 323

$1.05 LKR 348

-7.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$0.82 LKR 273

-24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 LKR 193

$0.90 LKR 298

-35.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.45 LKR 151

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 LKR 3,787

$10.45 LKR 3,476

9.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.40 LKR 6,116

$12.75 LKR 4,239

44.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 LKR 826

$1.97 LKR 653

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,017

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 124

27.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.4

$0.35 LKR 115

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 433

$1.38 LKR 459

-5.80%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

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

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

11.23%

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

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

-22.53%

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

$2.94 LKR 977

$4.32 LKR 1,436

-31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.10 LKR 7,016

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$1.78 LKR 593

$4.60 LKR 1,529

-61.30%

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

$38.09 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,195 LKR 397.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

$18.21 LKR 6,052

100.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.39 LKR 5,449

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.53 LKR 14.1K

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)

$152 LKR 50.7K

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 Beruwala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

$235 46.7%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

$103 20.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

$84 16.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

$70 13.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

$9.2 * 1.8%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

$2.1 * 0.4%

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Beruwala

- * 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 Beruwala. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $235, with Jaffna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Beruwala

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

35,300

💱 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 Beruwala 350 km

From you

Jaffna
Beruwala

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 Beruwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaffna is about 4% 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 $754 in Beruwala 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 40% higher in Beruwala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Beruwala – 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.

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