Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matara and Jaffna

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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Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$576

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matara 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 Matara and in Jaffna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Matara $576
Jaffna $484

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

Matara $839
Jaffna $774

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

Matara $1,102
Jaffna $1,063

Matara costs about 19% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 LKR 1,241

$1.03 LKR 342

262.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.54 LKR 8,159

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-39.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 LKR 2,503

$4.61 LKR 1,533

63.34%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 810

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-23.99%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$1.66 LKR 552

-59.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.48 LKR 161

-47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 741

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-37.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,017

$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 177

$0.46 LKR 152

15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 253

$0.64 LKR 212

18.75%

Eggs

$1.53 LKR 509

$1.35 LKR 448

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 LKR 4,514

$4.41 LKR 1,466

207.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,609

$3.18 LKR 1,057

52.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,415

$6.09 LKR 2,026

19.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 LKR 2,230

$3.66 LKR 1,217

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.47 LKR 156

-8.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,481

$2.94 LKR 978

51.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 LKR 302

$1.47 LKR 489

-38.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 LKR 306

$0.97 LKR 323

-5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 LKR 193

$0.62 LKR 205

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 295

$0.58 LKR 193

53.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.39 LKR 131

17.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 LKR 3,276

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-13.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 LKR 4,303

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 LKR 596

$2.48 LKR 826

-27.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.29 LKR 95.8

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$0.47 LKR 157

-14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.25 LKR 83.4

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 317

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.30 LKR 433

6.15%

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)

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-7.67%

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

$46.17 LKR 15.4K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

1.90%

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

$4.22 LKR 1,403

$2.94 LKR 977

43.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 LKR 6,977

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,530

$1.78 LKR 593

158.43%

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)

$18.04 LKR 5,997

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-50.51%

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)

$179 LKR 59.6K

$150 LKR 49.8K

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.1 LKR 30.0K

$138 LKR 45.7K

-34.48%

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 Matara: October 27, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matara

$229 39.8%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Matara

$103 17.8%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Matara

$90 15.7%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matara

$71 12.4%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Matara

$70 12.2%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Matara

$9.2 * 1.6%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6%

Jaffna

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $179 in Matara versus $150 in Jaffna. 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 $25 in Matara versus $40 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Matara vs $168 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matara

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Matara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matara Jaffna 420 km

From you

Matara
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

Matara vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $864 per month in Matara and $727 in Jaffna. 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 $25 in Matara and $40 in Jaffna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $576 in Matara 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.