Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polonnaruwa and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $119 a month against $510 in Polonnaruwa, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$119

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Polonnaruwa and in Matale

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

A single person spends $510 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $119 in Matale, rent included.

Polonnaruwa $510
Matale $119

A couple spends around $829 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $199 in Matale, rent included.

Polonnaruwa $829
Matale $199

A family of three spends $1,148 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $278 in Matale, rent included.

Polonnaruwa $1,148
Matale $278

Polonnaruwa costs about 327% more than Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Polonnaruwa and Matale are more affordable than the global median – Polonnaruwa 62% lower, Matale 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,294

$1.86 LKR 618

109.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 LKR 8,410

$9.21 LKR 3,063

174.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 LKR 2,435

$4.62 LKR 1,537

58.44%

Cappuccino

$2.56 LKR 850

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$0.47 LKR 157

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 LKR 721

$2.42 LKR 805

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 990

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.70 LKR 565

-7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.37 LKR 123

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.68 LKR 227

19.12%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 567

$1.11 LKR 368

53.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 LKR 5,069

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,639

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 LKR 2,156

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.58 LKR 192

39.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,414

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 423

$0.86 LKR 286

47.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 345

$0.55 LKR 183

89.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.52 LKR 172

48.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 LKR 419

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 LKR 3,358

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 LKR 4,513

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 622

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 990

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 102

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 439

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

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

$3.74 LKR 1,242

14.17%

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

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.57 LKR 11.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$48.65 LKR 16.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 LKR 61.1K

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 Matale: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Polonnaruwa

$242 47.5%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Polonnaruwa

$104 20.5%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polonnaruwa

$83 16.2%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.7%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Polonnaruwa

$9.2 * 1.8%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Polonnaruwa

$1.9 * 0.4%

Matale

–

Accommodation & Living

Polonnaruwa

- * 0%

Matale

–

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 $9 in Matale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $38 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

Same time as Polonnaruwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

40,800

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Polonnaruwa Matale 67 km

From you

Polonnaruwa
Matale

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 Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polonnaruwa costs about 327% more than Matale, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $765 per month in Polonnaruwa and $179 in Matale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $510 in Polonnaruwa and $119 in Matale. That makes Matale about 77% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 533% more in Polonnaruwa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $510 in Polonnaruwa and $119 in Matale, 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.