Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Matara

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $576 in Matara, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Matara despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Matara

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

A single person spends $484 per month in Jaffna vs $576 in Matara, rent included.

Jaffna $484
Matara $576

A couple spends around $774 per month in Jaffna vs $839 in Matara, rent included.

Jaffna $774
Matara $839

A family of three spends $1,063 per month in Jaffna vs $1,102 in Matara, rent included.

Jaffna $1,063
Matara $1,102

Jaffna is about 16% cheaper than Matara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jaffna and Matara are more affordable than the global median – Jaffna 64% lower, Matara 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 LKR 342

$3.73 LKR 1,241

-72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

$24.54 LKR 8,159

64.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 LKR 1,533

$7.53 LKR 2,503

-38.78%

Cappuccino

$3.21 LKR 1,067

$2.44 LKR 810

31.56%

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 83.1

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 LKR 1,195

$2.23 LKR 741

60.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 LKR 2,009

$3.06 LKR 1,017

97.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.56 LKR 519

-54.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.53 LKR 177

-13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$0.76 LKR 253

-15.79%

Eggs

$1.35 LKR 448

$1.53 LKR 509

-11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,466

$13.58 LKR 4,514

-67.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LKR 1,057

$4.84 LKR 1,609

-34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$7.26 LKR 2,415

-16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 LKR 1,217

$6.71 LKR 2,230

-45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.43 LKR 142

9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 LKR 978

$4.46 LKR 1,481

-34.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 LKR 489

$0.91 LKR 302

61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 323

$0.92 LKR 306

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$0.58 LKR 193

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 LKR 193

$0.89 LKR 295

-34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.46 LKR 151

-15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 LKR 3,787

$9.85 LKR 3,276

15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.40 LKR 6,116

$12.94 LKR 4,303

42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 LKR 826

$1.79 LKR 596

38.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.8

$0.31 LKR 104

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 157

$0.40 LKR 133

17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.4

$0.35 LKR 115

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 317

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 433

$1.38 LKR 458

-5.80%

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

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

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

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

8.30%

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

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

$46.17 LKR 15.4K

-1.86%

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

$2.94 LKR 977

$4.22 LKR 1,403

-30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 LKR 6,977

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$1.78 LKR 593

$4.60 LKR 1,530

-61.30%

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

$38.17 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

$18.04 LKR 5,997

102.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.90 LKR 5,618

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 LKR 49.8K

$179 LKR 59.6K

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.7K

$90.1 LKR 30.0K

52.63%

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)

$105 LKR 34.8K

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 Matara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Matara

$229 39.8%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Matara

$103 17.8%

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Matara

$90 15.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Matara

$71 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Matara

$70 12.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Matara

$9.2 * 1.6%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $150 in Jaffna versus $179 in Matara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Jaffna versus $25 in Matara. Groceries tell a different story – $168 in Jaffna vs $229 in Matara – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Matara

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

Same time as Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

100,000

💱 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 Matara 420 km

From you

Jaffna
Matara

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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $484 in Jaffna, $576 in Matara – Jaffna comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $727 per month in Jaffna and $864 in Matara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jaffna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $150 there versus $179 in Matara.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Jaffna and $25 in Matara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $484 in Jaffna and $576 in Matara. That makes Jaffna about 16% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $484 in Jaffna and $576 in Matara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.