Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ragama and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $502 in Ragama, rent and utilities included – about $220 less a year. The total is higher in Ragama despite lower rent and utilities.

24

Cost of Living Index in Ragama
Learn more

Ragama Living Index

Jump to prices

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $502 per month in Ragama vs $484 in Jaffna, rent included.

Ragama $502
Jaffna $484

A couple spends around $816 per month in Ragama vs $774 in Jaffna, rent included.

Ragama $816
Jaffna $774

A family of three spends $1,129 per month in Ragama vs $1,063 in Jaffna, rent included.

Ragama $1,129
Jaffna $1,063

Ragama costs about 4% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ragama and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Ragama 63% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 LKR 1,294

$1.03 LKR 342

277.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.24 LKR 8,390

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 LKR 2,467

$4.61 LKR 1,533

60.95%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 815

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-23.68%

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

$0.73 LKR 243

$1.66 LKR 552

-56.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.2

$0.48 LKR 161

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 750

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-37.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 1,000

$6.04 LKR 2,009

-50.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 LKR 474

$0.71 LKR 236

101.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 LKR 165

$0.46 LKR 152

8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 LKR 227

$0.64 LKR 212

6.25%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 551

$1.35 LKR 448

22.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 LKR 4,660

$4.41 LKR 1,466

217.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 LKR 1,603

$3.18 LKR 1,057

51.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 LKR 2,460

$6.09 LKR 2,026

21.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 LKR 2,180

$3.66 LKR 1,217

79.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.47 LKR 156

72.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 LKR 1,435

$2.94 LKR 978

46.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 437

$1.47 LKR 489

-10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 345

$0.97 LKR 323

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.62 LKR 205

24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$0.58 LKR 193

58.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.39 LKR 131

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 LKR 3,380

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 LKR 4,304

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-29.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 636

$2.48 LKR 826

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.47 LKR 157

-19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.25 LKR 83.4

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 444

$1.30 LKR 433

3.08%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

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

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-10.80%

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

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

28.03%

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

$4.24 LKR 1,409

$2.94 LKR 977

44.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,927

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.85 LKR 1,946

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,471

$1.78 LKR 593

148.31%

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

$37.33 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,217 LKR 404.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.43 LKR 6,126

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-49.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,526

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.13 LKR 14.0K

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 Ragama: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ragama

$234 46.5%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Ragama

$104 20.7%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ragama

$83 16.5%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ragama

$70 14%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Ragama

- * 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 Ragama versus $40 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Ragama vs $168 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ragama

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

Same time as Ragama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

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

Ragama Jaffna 290 km

From you

Ragama
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

Ragama vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $502 in Ragama, $484 in Jaffna – Jaffna comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $753 per month in Ragama and $727 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 Ragama 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 $502 in Ragama and $484 in Jaffna. That makes Jaffna about 4% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $502 in Ragama and $484 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 $484 in Jaffna to $502 in Ragama. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.