Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $486 a month against $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Learn more

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

Jump to prices

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $707 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $486 in Jaffna, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707
Jaffna $486

A couple spends around $1,096 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $774 in Jaffna, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096
Jaffna $774

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $1,063 in Jaffna, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485
Jaffna $1,063

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs about 45% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,271

$1.04 LKR 345

269.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.15 LKR 8,331

$39.54 LKR 13.1K

-36.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,533

$4.66 LKR 1,544

64.16%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$3.22 LKR 1,065

-20.19%

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

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.60 LKR 531

-54.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.52 LKR 173

-51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$3.57 LKR 1,183

-37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 989

$5.99 LKR 1,983

-50.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 421

$0.68 LKR 224

86.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$0.48 LKR 161

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$0.64 LKR 212

15.62%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 568

$1.40 LKR 464

22.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 LKR 4,576

$4.45 LKR 1,474

210.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,462

$3.20 LKR 1,058

37.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 LKR 1,754

$5.91 LKR 1,959

-10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

$3.72 LKR 1,233

66.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$0.50 LKR 166

68.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$3.07 LKR 1,016

42.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 397

$1.48 LKR 491

-18.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.99 LKR 327

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$0.62 LKR 205

32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$0.63 LKR 207

39.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.39 LKR 131

17.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

$11.67 LKR 3,865

-21.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

$18.26 LKR 6,047

-30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$2.56 LKR 848

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,020

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.47 LKR 155

-34.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.23 LKR 75.5

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 381

$1.30 LKR 430

-11.54%

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)

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

-10.51%

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

$45.41 LKR 15.0K

0.46%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$2.95 LKR 977

47.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

$5.97 LKR 1,977

149.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$1.84 LKR 609

67.39%

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.40 LKR 6,093

$36.40 LKR 12.1K

-49.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

$154 LKR 51.0K

99.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.1K

$138 LKR 45.7K

62.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

$224 LKR 74.2K

98.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 LKR 126.4K

$196 LKR 64.9K

94.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 LKR 98.8K

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Jaffna

–

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

Jaffna

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $154 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 $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $40.00 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $169 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

Same time as Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

600,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Jaffna 310 km

From you

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, $486 in Jaffna – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,060 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $729 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $40.00 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 $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $486 in Jaffna. That's a gap of about 45%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $486 in Jaffna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Jaffna – 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 Jaffna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.