Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polonnaruwa and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $275 a month against $510 in Polonnaruwa, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Polonnaruwa
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Polonnaruwa Living Index

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Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $510 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $275 in Jaffna, rent included.

Polonnaruwa $510
Jaffna $275

A couple spends around $829 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $515 in Jaffna, rent included.

Polonnaruwa $829
Jaffna $515

A family of three spends $1,148 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $756 in Jaffna, rent included.

Polonnaruwa $1,148
Jaffna $756

Polonnaruwa costs about 86% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Polonnaruwa and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Polonnaruwa 62% lower, Jaffna 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,294

$1.06 LKR 354

266.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 LKR 8,409

$38.86 LKR 12.9K

-34.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 LKR 2,435

$4.44 LKR 1,478

64.86%

Cappuccino

$2.56 LKR 850

$3.29 LKR 1,093

-22.19%

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$1.67 LKR 556

-58.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.49 LKR 162

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 LKR 721

$3.46 LKR 1,150

-37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 990

$6.11 LKR 2,033

-51.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$0.66 LKR 220

139.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.46 LKR 152

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.61 LKR 203

32.79%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 567

$1.15 LKR 382

47.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 LKR 5,068

$4.63 LKR 1,539

229.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,638

$2.95 LKR 982

67.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

$6.06 LKR 2,017

26.40%

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 LKR 2,156

$3.52 LKR 1,172

84.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.59 LKR 196

37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,414

$2.97 LKR 989

43.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 423

$1.53 LKR 509

-16.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 345

$1.52 LKR 506

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.73 LKR 242

5.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 LKR 419

$0.58 LKR 194

117.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

$0.31 LKR 104

35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 LKR 3,358

$12.19 LKR 4,054

-17.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 LKR 4,512

$18.34 LKR 6,099

-26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 622

$2.94 LKR 977

-36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 990

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.06 LKR 1,018

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.44 LKR 146

-15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 102

$0.25 LKR 83.8

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 439

$1.24 LKR 412

6.45%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

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

$45.5K LKR 15.1M

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

1.06%

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

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

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

$4.27 LKR 1,419

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 LKR 6,772

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,532

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

$40.23 LKR 13.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.01 LKR 5,989

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.32 LKR 5,761

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.05 LKR 13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Polonnaruwa: October 31, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Polonnaruwa

$242 47.5%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Polonnaruwa

$104 20.5%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polonnaruwa

$83 16.2%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.7%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Polonnaruwa

$9.2 * 1.8%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Polonnaruwa

$1.9 * 0.4%

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 Polonnaruwa versus $39 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Polonnaruwa vs $169 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

Same time as Polonnaruwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

600,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Polonnaruwa Jaffna 220 km

From you

Polonnaruwa
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

Polonnaruwa vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $510 in Polonnaruwa, $275 in Jaffna – Jaffna comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $765 per month in Polonnaruwa and $412 in Jaffna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Polonnaruwa and $39 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 $510 in Polonnaruwa and $275 in Jaffna. That makes Jaffna about 46% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $510 in Polonnaruwa and $275 in Jaffna, 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 $275 in Jaffna to $510 in Polonnaruwa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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