Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolonnawa and Jaffna

For one person, living costs are similar in Kolonnawa and in Jaffna: $488 and $484 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
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Kolonnawa Living Index

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Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolonnawa and in Jaffna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kolonnawa and in Jaffna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $488 per month in Kolonnawa vs $484 in Jaffna, rent included.

Kolonnawa $488
Jaffna $484

A couple spends around $794 per month in Kolonnawa vs $774 in Jaffna, rent included.

Kolonnawa $794
Jaffna $774

A family of three spends $1,100 per month in Kolonnawa vs $1,063 in Jaffna, rent included.

Kolonnawa $1,100
Jaffna $1,063

Kolonnawa and Jaffna have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 LKR 1,285

$1.03 LKR 342

275.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.33 LKR 8,422

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-37.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 LKR 2,453

$4.61 LKR 1,533

60.09%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 816

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-23.68%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.66 LKR 552

-57.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.48 LKR 161

-47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 718

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,018

$6.04 LKR 2,009

-49.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 519

$0.71 LKR 236

119.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 178

$0.46 LKR 152

15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 LKR 192

$0.64 LKR 212

-9.38%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 551

$1.35 LKR 448

22.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 LKR 3,502

$4.41 LKR 1,466

138.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 LKR 1,539

$3.18 LKR 1,057

45.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.32 LKR 2,433

$6.09 LKR 2,026

20.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.75 LKR 2,243

$3.66 LKR 1,217

84.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$0.47 LKR 156

80.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 LKR 1,472

$2.94 LKR 978

50.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 439

$1.47 LKR 489

-10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$0.97 LKR 323

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.62 LKR 205

24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.58 LKR 193

60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.39 LKR 131

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 LKR 3,436

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 LKR 3,489

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-42.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 LKR 588

$2.48 LKR 826

-28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 LKR 738

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.2

$0.29 LKR 95.8

-44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.47 LKR 157

-14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.25 LKR 83.4

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 442

$1.30 LKR 433

2.31%

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

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

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

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-8.18%

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

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

31.49%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$2.94 LKR 977

42.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,870

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 LKR 1,546

$1.78 LKR 593

161.24%

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

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 394.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.07 LKR 6,007

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-50.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.73 LKR 5,562

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

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 Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Kolonnawa

- * 0%

Jaffna

–

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 $25 in Kolonnawa versus $40 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Kolonnawa vs $168 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

Same time as Kolonnawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,800

600,000

💱 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

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Kolonnawa Jaffna 300 km

From you

Kolonnawa
Jaffna

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

Kolonnawa vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $732 per month in Kolonnawa and $727 in Jaffna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Kolonnawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $488 in Kolonnawa and $484 in Jaffna, 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.