Cost of Travel in Sri Lanka
By daily living standards, Sri Lanka is a very cheap country to travel through.
However, if you start getting into the national parks and the stricly designated tourist attractions, the cost significantly shoots up.
My traveling style is more about exploring random places on foot, eating loads of authentic street food and doing most things at a slow-ish pace. I’m not big on tourist designated sights, so this budget guide will cover mostly the daily cost of travel in Sri Lanka.
Also throughout this budget I was traveling with one friend of mine, which is always a good way to ease the cost of travel.
Cost of 20 Days in Sri Lanka
Total amount I spent = 18,138 LKR Sri Lankan Rupees (ranges around $160 – $165)
Amount per day that I spent (average) = 906 LKR – that’s less than 10 USD bucks a day – in fact it’s more like $8!
My budget costs could have even been less had I not purchased 3,000 LKR ($27.18) of tea and spices upon leaving.
Minus the major attractions, day to day living in Sri Lanka is similar to the cost of travel in Egypt.
Near Unawatuna, Sri Lanka
Main Places I Visited in Sri Lanka
- Colombo – Spent over a week in Colombo getting my Thai visa and just hanging out, walking around and eating Sri Lankan food
- Kandy – Spent about 4 days in Kandy, wandering around – not my favorite place in Sri Lanka
- Pusselawa – Just a tiny little town that I visited because a friend lived there, spent around 4 days hanging out in the tea fields!
- Jaffna – Was in Jaffna for 4 days and had an amazing time, Jaffna is a wonderful place to visit with a Sri Lankan Tamil culture and a lot of remains from the civil war
- Galle – Actually didn’t even spend the night in Galle but just took a day trip from Colombo
- Unawatuna – Also I didn’t have time to spend much time in Unawatuna as I did a lot of relaxing in Pusselawa and Jaffna – but if you enjoy the beach this area is fantastic
Cost of Sri Lankan Food
Cost of Food in Sri Lanka
If you are looking to save money on your budget while traveling through Sri Lanka, food and transportation will come to your rescue.
Sri Lankan food is extremely cheap.
I was eating giant meals that included a huge mound of rice and a mix of curries for less than $1 per meal. If you are a big eater like me, you’ll be happy to know that most of the normal restaurants give you a first plate of rice and you can ask for a re-fill!
Vegetarian meals are the cheapest, but seafood and fish are still quite affordable and chicken is a little more expensive.
- Vegetarian curry and rice – 100 LKR ($0.91)
- Fish curry and rice (includes veggie dishes too) – 150 LKR
- Huge feast of paratha, daal, fish curry – 200 LKR
- Plate of kottu – 100 LKR ($0.91)
- Fresh coconut – 40 LKR ($0.36)
- Bottled water (big bottle) – 60 LKR ($0.54)
Cost of Transportation in Sri Lanka
Cost of Transportation in Sri Lanka
There are a few methods of common transportation in Sri Lanka: Bus, Train and Rickshaw (tuk tuk).
Transportation in Sri Lanka is cheaper than in any other country I’ve ever traveled…but you have to be willing to deal with not the most luxurious conditions.
Buses won’t leave until they are full (by that I mean all seats are taken and the aisle is full of standers). The bus drivers then proceed to drive at ferocious speeds and slam on their breaks as hard as they please. Buses aren’t the most relaxing in Sri Lanka – but they’ll be kind to your budget travel!
Train is good, but there aren’t too many routes and many tracks were under construction when I was in Sri Lanka.
- 3rd-class train from Colombo to Kandy (3 hours) – 105 LKR ($0.95)
- 5 kilometer rickshaw (tuk tuk) ride – 300 LKR ($2.72)
- Semi-Luxury (it was pretty normal to me) overnight bus from Kandy to Jaffna (8 hours) – 465 LKR ($4.21) – that’s a good DEAL!
- Bus from Colombo to Galle (3 hours) – 115 LKR ($1.04)
- Local bus around Colombo – 20-30 LKR per ride ($0.18 – $0.27)
Cost of Accommodation in Sri Lanka
One of the ways I save a lot of money is through couchsurfing. I make a few contacts and sometimes end up finding great places to stay.
Here’s the break down of where I stayed for 20 nights in Sri Lanka:
- Couchsurfing – 15 nights
- Guest House – 3 nights
- Bus – 1 night
- Airport – 1 night
Guest Houses
I stayed at just two different guest houses while I was in Sri Lanka. Both of them were very adequate private double rooms with exterior bathrooms and cost 1000 LKR ($9.06) per night for two of us. I think that’s about average to low for a room in Sri Lanka, and closer to tourist beaches the prices might be higher.
- Cost of a double room – 1000-1500 LKR per night ($9.06 – $13.59)
- Cost of a dorm bed – 400-800 LKR ($3.62 – $7.25)
Attractions in Sri Lanka
Cost of Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka
Like I’ve mentioned before, I avoided most of the tourist attractions, and though I probably missed out on some cool things, my entire trip to Sri Lanka was amazing!
If you do want to visit the attractions here is a sample of the costs:
Things I did do:
- Took a bunch of photos and videos of a cobra charmer – 100 LKR ($0.91)
- Mandatory tip at Hindu temple to take photos – 100 LKR ($0.91)
- 2 hour tour of Colombo on a Rickshaw – 800 LKR ($7.25)
- Entrance to Gangaramaya Buddhist temple – 100 LKR ($0.91)
- Entrance to Jaffna public library – 10 LKR ($0.09) – possibly the cheapest attraction that wasn’t free that I’ve ever visited…they even gave us official tickets!
Things I didn’t do (which I’m sure are cool):
- Sigiriya (I saw it from the outside, but it was a bit overpriced in my opinion – so I saved my money) – 3,300 LKR entrance fee (almost $30!)
- Yala National Park – Around $15 entrance fee and $15 per person for vehicle
- Kandy Botanical Gardens – $10 entrance fee
- Temple of the Tooth – $10 entrance fee
Tea Field in Sri Lanka - Don't Leave Without Some!
Cost of Shopping / Souvenirs in Sri Lanka
I’m not big on shopping (for anything other than food) but if you are looking to bring something home from Sri Lanka I can recommend buying tea and spices.
- 500 gram bag of loose leaf Ceylon tea – 500 LKR ($4.53)
- Mixed bag of all kinds of spices – 300 LKR ($2.72)
Cost of Internet in Sri Lanka
Wi-fi is still not that common in Sri Lanka, but there are cyber cafe’s all over the country. 1 hour costs anywhere form 50 – 100 LKR ($0.40 – $0.91).
Final Thoughts / Overview
It would be easy to spend $20 -$40 a day in Sri Lanka if you go-go-go and visit national parks and all the “tourist guide” tourist attractions.
but…
Daily cost of living in Sri Lanka is very low. If you choose to travel to Sri Lanka and are on a low budget (like I was) you can do things quite cheaply.
I spent just $10 per day and that included a bunch of tea and spices that I bought the last day of my trip – just remember I did a lot of couchsurfing.
Any other thoughts or more information about budget travel in Sri Lanka? Feel free to leave a comment!
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Glad you had a good time in Sri Lanka. I was there for a few weeks 5 years ago, and it remains one of my favorite travel experiences! Unawatuna was great.
Thanks Ann – cool to hear that you’ve also traveled around Sri Lanka – it really is a beautiful country!
•5 kilometer rickshaw (tuk tuk) ride – 300 LKR ($2.72)
Mark,
This looks little expensive, usually it should be Rs.30 per km.
Sri Lanka was one of the cheapest destinations on our RTW trip – we spent even less there than in India. I don’t remember Sigiriya being that expensive but I did love it. The Kandy Botanical Gardens are worth it too -some of the most beautiful we’ve been to and a great way to relax for an afternoon. Your budget is impressive – we spent about $30 a day for two of us.
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Thanks for sharing you experience Erin – and that’s a good comparison with India (I haven’t been yet). A couple Sri Lankan friends said that the price for entrance to Sigiriya had just increased recently, so I might have just gone as it became more expensive. I’d definitely say that $30 a day for 2 is pretty decent as well!
Good information; hope I get a chance to use it one of these days. Thanks!
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Thanks!
It’s amazing what a bargain some less-developed countries can be, especially since you can have an equally unforgettable time traveling there. To me, seeing that snake charmer in the street would be priceless! I can’t wait to travel to that part of the world someday. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for your added input Michael and I fully agree. Seeing the snake charmer in the middle of the street was pretty cool!
Great outline- although that snake is a little scary!
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Haha, thanks Jade!
Love your break down of all the costs, very enticing. I like how the tea costs more than food XDD
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Thanks Annie!
Wow! $10 is cheap, cheap, cheap.
adventureswithben recently posted..My Travel ABC’s
It’s really a great deal!
Wow, the headline totally grabbed me. $10 a day? hadn’t even considered Sri Lanka…until now!
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Awesome to hear that, thanks for checking it out Roy!
Sri Lanka is in my list but I was informed that it is quite expensive but your post suggests something different. I’ve bookmarked this post to refer to, when I actually plan to go there. Looks like it is even cheaper than my own country, India.
I liked your break down of all the costs. I would have done more shopping in the sense that 500 gm of Tea would not have sufficed for me.
You gave money to snake charmer on your own or he demanded it?
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Thanks a lot Nisha!
Just remember in this budget guide that I did mostly couchsurfing…so I only stayed in a guest house a few nights of my time in Sri Lanka. I like the way you think about the tea though – I bought about 2 kilos of tea but that’s all I could bring because I only had a hand carry bag. As for the snake charmer, I don’t think he would have performed had I not paid him a tip, plus I shot about 50 photos and a video so it was well worth it!
how incredible! i can’t even fathom being able to live so well for so little!!! What kinds of spices did you buy??
i don’t know if i could’ve stopped myself from pocketing leaves & leaves of tea!
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Thanks Jen! I bought a few bags that included a small assortment of about 6 different spices and then I loaded up on cumin, fennel seeds, a mixture of curry powder, cinnamon and cardamon pods. If you like tea, Sri Lanka is a great place!!!
As usual, great breakdown of costs Mark. Sri Lanka is one country I’ve yet to visit even though I’ve done a lot of travel in Asia. Couchsurfing really helped keep your costs down and how can you beat curries for less than a $1
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Thanks a lot Samuel! Can’t go wrong with $1 curries, when you’re in Asia…that’s for sure!
Hi Mark! Again and again, you made a post about places that I actually am planning to go. After Southern China, now Sri Lanka! What a coincidence!
However I see that you didn’t go to Polonnaruwa, Anuradapura and Sigiriya. Is that true?
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Haha, cool to hear that you’ll be going to Sri Lanka too Bama. You’re right, I didn’t make it to any of those historical sites, I really had to pick and choose as my budget and time ran out… I was in Sigiriya town for a day, but I didn’t end up paying the entrance fee to get in. Will you be going to those places? I’ll look forward to reading about them from you!
Yes, I am planning to go to those places (at least I will really try to make my time to go to Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa, because Anuradapura is located a bit far in the north). By the way, the fact that you went to Jaffna is already stunning for me. The word Jaffna always reminds me of war and landmines. But I’m glad the war is over now.
Bama recently posted..Cemoro Lawang: A Village in The Clouds
Cool Bama, will be great to hear about your trip to Sri Lanka!
Hi!
I’m a Sri lankan, Living in UK. I think Mark you have missed alot more. You should have visited Kandy botanical garden and yaala national park. It does worth paying for. You should also have visited Trincomalee where there is a natural harbour and alot of hindu temples, especially beautiful beaches. Koneshwaram temple is one of the famous and seven wells which has different temperatures in each of them (Natural temperatures). Then budhist temples in anuradhapura and surrounding ares.
Nuwara eliya is another tropical place you shouldn’t have missed. Waterfalls, mountains, farms and tea estates are just amazing places to visit. Hope that you will not miss those places next time.
Regards,
Zeno
Also don’t miss fruits that are unique to the country. Karutha kolumban mango is one of the tastiest mangoes in the world, Jack fruit, Rambuttan fruit Etc……
Cheers
Yah, the fruit in Sri Lanka is fantastic! I don’t think I was able to sample a Karutha Kolumban Mango – that sounds great! How does it taste?
Hey Zeno,
Thanks for all these great suggestions! I wasn’t able to visit the entire country this time as I only had 3 weeks in Sri Lanka. I think I could spend 1 year in Sri Lanka visiting all the cities and interesting attractions! I will definitely try to get to some of these places the next time I visit!
What part of Sri Lanka are you originally from?
Thanks for the comment!
Mark
Man the shot of the plate of food is MOUTHWATERING…how did you enjoy the spicy fried sprats??? It is a personal favorite of mine
woah you have no clue as to how much i miss the dry fish (karawala).. 
I totally enjoy with Zeno, you should have visited the Temple of tooth, Nuwara Eliya and the Kandy botanical gardens…yes they require entrance fees, but they are definitely not worth missing, especially when you pay thousand of dollars for an air ticket to and back from Sri Lanka, but since the whole point of your trip was budget travel, I presume they were strategic decisions. There is another absolutely breathtaking place called “Meemure” (pronounced meemoorey)…It is off Hunnasgiriya, which in itself is another beautiful place. But be wqarned, Meemure is a very remote area and ther eare only two guest houses there. So plan ahead if you wanna go. Another place you should visit is Riverston and the knuckles mountain range.Visiting the “veddhas” – the indigenous people of Sri Lanka would be a memorable trip too..the list goes on and on..:D
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave these great comments Menushka. This is fantastic advice! I got your comments corrected!
Yah, as a traveler (with a limited budget) I have to really pick and choose the things I can afford to do or not, and sometimes I have to not do a few things in order to keep traveling the way I do. It would have been nice to visit some of the attractions, but hopefully there will be a next time! Meemure sounds way cool – I’ll keep that in mind!
I am posting a link below wich allows you to view tourist attractions in 360 view.the temple of tooth is also included..hope you enjoy..
http://www.ocholeguas.com/en_360/2011/09/sri_lanka/5/5.html
Regards
Menushka
Wow, those are really cool, thanks for sharing!
You don’t have to thank me Mark…Sri Lanka is my home, and I would gladly do anything to make a guest feel welcome in my country…i currently am residing in the United States, and am missing home very badly…hope to get back as soon as possible..
Anyways, this is a great blog mark, where people can share first hand experience of their travels.. 
Your work is much appreciated..THANK YOU for showing the beauty of my country.. 
hope you had the chance to experience authentic sri lankan hospitality during your travels.
I really appreciate your kind words Menushka! I had an extremely great time visiting your country and I was treated with nothing but hospitality during me stay. I really enjoyed Sri Lanka, the people and the great food! Hope you are doing well and thanks again for visiting my website and for taking the time to leave a comment.
I also saw your instructional video on how to eat using your fingers…BRAVO mark…
so you too agree with the fact that food tastes better when mixed with fingers.. 
it takes some practice, though to get it right 
Thanks Menushka! Food just tastes a little better with your hands!
and in that video have some problem ….
you need to start eating with your side ….
or else it will be like king dutugamunus war
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Haha, thanks!