Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Ragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $502 in Ragama, rent and utilities included – about $220 less a year. The total is higher in Ragama despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Ragama
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Ragama Living Index

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

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Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jaffna and in Ragama

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

A single person spends $484 per month in Jaffna vs $502 in Ragama, rent included.

Jaffna $484
Ragama $502

A couple spends around $774 per month in Jaffna vs $816 in Ragama, rent included.

Jaffna $774
Ragama $816

A family of three spends $1,063 per month in Jaffna vs $1,129 in Ragama, rent included.

Jaffna $1,063
Ragama $1,129

Jaffna is about 4% cheaper than Ragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jaffna and Ragama are more affordable than the global median – Jaffna 64% lower, Ragama 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 LKR 342

$3.89 LKR 1,294

-73.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

$25.24 LKR 8,390

59.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 LKR 1,533

$7.42 LKR 2,467

-37.87%

Cappuccino

$3.21 LKR 1,067

$2.45 LKR 815

31.02%

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

$1.66 LKR 552

$0.73 LKR 243

127.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 LKR 161

$0.27 LKR 90.2

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 LKR 1,195

$2.26 LKR 750

58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 LKR 2,009

$3.01 LKR 1,000

100.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.43 LKR 474

-50.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.50 LKR 165

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$0.68 LKR 227

-5.88%

Eggs

$1.35 LKR 448

$1.66 LKR 551

-18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,466

$14.02 LKR 4,660

-68.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LKR 1,057

$4.82 LKR 1,603

-34.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$7.40 LKR 2,460

-17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 LKR 1,217

$6.56 LKR 2,180

-44.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.81 LKR 270

-41.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 LKR 978

$4.32 LKR 1,435

-31.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 LKR 489

$1.32 LKR 437

11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 323

$1.04 LKR 345

-6.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$0.77 LKR 255

-19.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 LKR 193

$0.92 LKR 306

-36.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.45 LKR 150

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 LKR 3,787

$10.17 LKR 3,380

12.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.40 LKR 6,116

$12.95 LKR 4,304

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 LKR 826

$1.91 LKR 636

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

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

$0.35 LKR 115

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 433

$1.34 LKR 444

-2.99%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

12.11%

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

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

-21.89%

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

$2.94 LKR 977

$4.24 LKR 1,409

-30.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,927

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$1.78 LKR 593

$4.42 LKR 1,471

-59.73%

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

$37.33 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,217 LKR 404.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

$18.43 LKR 6,126

97.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,526

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.13 LKR 14.0K

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

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 Ragama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Ragama

$234 46.5%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Ragama

$104 20.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Ragama

$83 16.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Ragama

$70 14%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4%

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Ragama

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Jaffna versus $25 in Ragama. Groceries tell a different story – $168 in Jaffna vs $234 in Ragama – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇱🇰 Ragama

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

Same time as Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

15,000

💱 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 Ragama 290 km

From you

Jaffna
Ragama

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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $484 in Jaffna, $502 in Ragama – Jaffna comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $727 per month in Jaffna and $753 in Ragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Jaffna and $25 in Ragama. 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 $502 in Ragama. That makes Jaffna about 4% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $484 in Jaffna and $502 in Ragama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Jaffna has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $484 in Jaffna to $502 in Ragama. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.