Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matale and Anuradhapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $226 a month against $506 in Anuradhapura, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Anuradhapura
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Anuradhapura Living Index

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Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$226

/mo nomad

Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matale and in Anuradhapura

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

A single person spends $226 per month in Matale vs $506 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Matale $226
Anuradhapura $506

A couple spends around $370 per month in Matale vs $820 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Matale $370
Anuradhapura $820

A family of three spends $513 per month in Matale vs $1,134 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Matale $513
Anuradhapura $1,134

Matale is about 55% cheaper than Anuradhapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Matale and Anuradhapura are more affordable than the global median – Matale 83% lower, Anuradhapura 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 LKR 584

$3.75 LKR 1,242

-53.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.99 LKR 2,979

$24.57 LKR 8,139

-63.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 LKR 1,493

$7.52 LKR 2,490

-40.03%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 810

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

$0.49 LKR 162

$0.68 LKR 227

-27.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 LKR 72.8

$0.27 LKR 89.9

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 LKR 787

$2.23 LKR 738

6.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 LKR 617

$2.99 LKR 990

-37.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 LKR 487

$1.61 LKR 534

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.57 LKR 189

-19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 LKR 208

$0.81 LKR 269

-22.22%

Eggs

$1.59 LKR 528

$1.63 LKR 541

-2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 LKR 3,221

$13.86 LKR 4,590

-29.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 LKR 1,189

$4.92 LKR 1,630

-27.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,461

$7.26 LKR 2,405

2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,208

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 LKR 184

$0.86 LKR 286

-34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,476

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.26 LKR 418

-30.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 173

$1.00 LKR 330

-48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 LKR 173

$0.83 LKR 274

-37.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 LKR 3,441

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 LKR 4,330

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.96 LKR 648

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 961

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.37 LKR 123

-32.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 LKR 376

$1.34 LKR 443

-14.93%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

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

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

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

$3.75 LKR 1,244

$4.23 LKR 1,401

-11.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.09 LKR 6,984

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 LKR 1,460

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

$38.06 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.70 LKR 7,851

$18.46 LKR 6,115

28.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,515

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$10.70 LKR 3,544

$41.98 LKR 13.9K

-74.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$43.05 LKR 14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.6 LKR 20.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 LKR 54.4K

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 Matale: October 18, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

$237 46.9%

Eating Out

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

$103 20.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

$84 16.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

$71 14%

Sport & Entertainment

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

$8.8 * 1.7%

Getting Around

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

$2.3 * 0.5%

Accommodation & Living

Matale

–

Anuradhapura

- * 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 $9.00 in Matale versus $25.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $237 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matale

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

Same time as Matale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,800

63,200

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Matale Anuradhapura 99 km

From you

Matale
Anuradhapura

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

Matale vs Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $226 in Matale, $506 in Anuradhapura – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $338 per month in Matale and $759 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Matale and $25.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $226 in Matale and $506 in Anuradhapura. That's a gap of about 124%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $226 in Matale and $506 in Anuradhapura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Matale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Matale. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Anuradhapura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.