Jaffna at a glance
- Jaffna ranks 5th of 10 priced cities in Sri Lanka on cost: $383 a month in essentials, 8% above Batticaloa, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $179 covers that 0.5×.
- 90.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at DS division level.
- PM2.5 averages 12.3 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Sri Lanka cities we track, so every row says whether Jaffna is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $383 | $392 | $9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $155 | $160 | $4 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $342 | $352 | $10 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $72 | $74 | $2 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $84 | $86 | $2 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $66 | $67 | $1 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $6 | $6 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $179 | $180 | $1 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $257 | $264 | $8 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $891 | $918 | $26 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Jaffna, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.62 | $3.71 | $0.08 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $19.63 | $20.11 | $0.48 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.13 | $6.28 | $0.15 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.98 | $2.03 | $0.05 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.81 | $1.85 | $0.04 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.45 | $2.51 | $0.06 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.57 | $0.58 | $0.02 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.21 | $0.21 | $0.01 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.30 | $1.33 | $0.03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.40 | $0.41 | $0.01 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.63 | $0.65 | $0.02 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.29 | $1.32 | $0.03 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.53 | $10.79 | $0.26 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.96 | $4.05 | $0.09 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.55 | $5.69 | $0.14 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.67 | $0.69 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.02 | $1.04 | $0.02 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.80 | $0.82 | $0.02 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.62 | $0.64 | $0.02 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.38 | $0.39 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.14 | $0.14 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $6.52 | $6.59 | $0.07 |
| Taxi start | $0.35 | $0.35 | $0.01 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.33 | $0.33 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.16 | $1.17 | $0.01 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $47.67 | $48.20 | $0.52 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $18.76 | $18.97 | $0.21 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $3.75 | $3.79 | $0.04 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $11.18 | $11.45 | $0.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.44 | $3.52 | $0.08 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Jaffna has 90.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (DS division level). That is the 7th-highest of 10 Sri Lanka cities we track. Sri Lanka's national figure is 98.8, so Jaffna runs 8 below the country as a whole.
Every Sri Lanka region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Jaffna ranks against every city we track
Jaffna sits ahead of 92% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On cost of living it is ahead of 90% of 998. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 8% of 999.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Jaffna sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Jaffna on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Jaffna beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Jaffna in the research deskOr unlock the Sri Lanka deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Rehman Abubakr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated