Is Sri Lanka Cheap: Detailed Sri Lanka Travel Budget (2024)

After spending a month in Sri Lanka exploring the West, South, Middle, and North of the country I did a roundup of our Sri Lanka travel budget and was surprised to learn that Sri Lanka is the cheapest country I’ve traveled to so far!

In this post, you will find a full Sri Lanka trip budget breakdown and clever budget-saving tips in order to make the most of your money in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka travel budget

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Sri Lanka budget trip

When we traveled around Southeast Asia our daily budget was usually around €60 per day (€30 per person).

In New Zealand and Japan, it was around €100 per day (€50 per person). However, our Sri Lanka daily budget was just €44 per day (€22 per person)!

So is Sri Lanka cheap? Yes it is!

In the infographic below you can find a detailed budget breakdown of our Sri Lanka trip costs and find out exactly how much we spent on accommodation, transportation, food, activities, and our visa.

The goal of the infographic and this Sri Lanka budget post is to give you a quick overview of how much (or actually how little) you can spend during your trip around Sri Lanka.

However, it's important to keep in mind that amount you'll spend depends on your style of travel, the length of your trip, and the type of accommodation you choose.

How much money do I need to backpack Sri Lanka?

Generally speaking, you can travel around Sri Lanka on a budget of $25-$50 per day (per person).

With a budget of $25 a day, you'll stay in budget hotels, travel with public transport, make the most of the (many) free activities Sri Lanka has to offer, and eat (delicious) local food.

On the other hand, with $50 per day, you can opt for more luxurious accommodation (there are lovely boutique hotels in Sri Lanka), book a couple of organized tours, and spend a bit more on food and transportation.

All in all, Sri Lanka is a beautiful country waiting to be explored. The Sri Lankans have had a rough couple of years, with the Sri Lanka Easter bombings in 2019, COVID-19 and the subsequent absence of tourists, and hyperinflation in the second half of 2022.

What I'm trying to say is: your money goes a long way in this wonderful and hospitable country and you can support many people that are dependent on the tourism industry.

Sri Lanka on a budget: important facts and figures

• I traveled to Sri Lanka with my husband, all expenses mentioned in this Sri Lanka trip budget are for the two of us together.
• I quote prices in Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) as well as € and $. When we were in Sri Lanka, €1 was around 160LKR and $1 was around 150LKR.However, due to hyperinflation, this is very different nowadays. Be sure to check the current exchange rate on XE.com.
• I spent almost a full month in Sri Lanka, 26 days to be exact. In total, we spent 182.000LKR/€1144/$1222, which comes down to an average of 7000LKR/€44/$47 a day for us as a couple.
• The budget breakdown includes all our expenses in Sri Lanka, but it doesn't include our airplane tickets to Sri Lanka.
• I’ve also excluded the costs of the dives we did in Sri Lanka, as this isn’t an activity everybody would do and it’s relatively expensive. I’ve added more info about diving inthe activity section further on in this post.
• My trip started and ended in Colombo (Negombo airport to be precise).

How to save money when planning a trip to Sri Lanka

As mentioned above, traveling Sri Lanka on a shoestring budget is definitely possible. That being said, it's important to plan carefully, look for discounts, and be flexible with your itinerary to make the most of your travel budget for Sri Lanka.

I hope this post will give you an idea of the costs of traveling in Sri Lanka, as well as some practical tips about how to stretch your travel budget.

Avoid high season (travel during shoulder season instead)

Start by researching the best time of year to visit Sri Lanka as the cost of flights and hotels vary throughout the year.

There are two different monsoon seasons in Sri Lanka (Yala and Maha), and as such also two peak seasons.

• The South-West monsoon is called Yala and lasts from May to September (though most rain falls in May and June).
• Subsequently, December until March are the busiest months on the West and South coast of Sri Lanka, as well as in the hills and mountains around Ella and Haputale,
• On the other hand, the North-East monsoon is called Maha and lasts from December to February.
• Therefore, peak season on the east coast (Arugam Bay) and the North of Sri Lanka (Jaffna) is from May until October.

During these months accommodation prices are at their highest. If you have the option to be flexible with your travel dates and able to travel in the low season (just before or after the monsoon season), this is a great way to save money on your Sri Lanka trip.

Save money on flights

You can look for discounts on flights to Sri Lanka on websites like Kiwi.com. Try different travel dates and see how this affects the price of your flight.

Generally, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Airlines often offer discounted fares on these days, so it's worth checking the booking sites and comparing prices on different days of the week.

You’ll get a better deal by booking your flight in advance. For international flights, it’s best to book 2-8 months in advance.

Lastly, you may be able to find cheap flights if you're willing to be flexible with your departure and arrival times.

Sure, it’s not ideal to arrive in the middle of the night, but if it saves you hundreds of dollars it’s worth losing one night of good sleep.

✈️ Click here to find the best ticket deals

Book your accommodation in advance

Once you've got your flights booked, it’s time to research budget accommodation. I always use Agoda and Booking to find the best value-for-money accommodation for our trips.

I recommend checking both platforms before you book to make sure you get the best deals.

Please note that Agoda includes taxes in their price whereas Booking doesn't always include this. Make sure to check this before finalizing your booking.

Also, if you're in a country with hefty ATM fees or a limit on how much cash you can withdraw per transaction it can be better to book with Agoda as you can often pay online with your credit card (thereby reducing your need for cash).

Cost to travel Sri Lanka: our average daily budget

Now that you know some great ways to save money in the planning phase of your Sri Lanka trip, it's time for a deep dive into our Sri Lanka expenses.

Sri Lanka backpacking budget

1. Accommodation: 36% of daily travel costs
2. Transportation: 6% of daily travel costs
3. Food: 36% of daily travel costs
4. Paid activities: 13% of daily travel costs
5. Visa: 6% of daily travel costs
6. Miscellaneous: 4% of daily travel costs

1. Accommodation costs in Sri Lanka

During our trip, we stayed in private rooms at homestays and hotels that I booked via Agoda and Booking.

Prices for hotel rooms varied between 1000LKR/(€6/$7) and 4000LKR (€25/$27) but on average we paid 2500LKR/€16/$17 per night.

Note: our trip to Sri Lanka was a couple of years ago and prices have increased. However, there are still plenty of excellent budget accommodations available in Sri Lanka.

While we've personally stayed at most of the hotels listed in the table, some hotels we stayed at during our trip are no longer available due to Covid-19.

I've done my utmost to find a suitable alternative that I'd be happy to book myself.

I list the Sri Lanka budget accommodation prices in USD and Euro. Again, check the current exchange rates for the Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) on XE.com.

I've also writtena separate post about our budget accommodation in Sri Lanka in case you want to read more about these hotels.

Note: Prices for these hotels depend on the time of year and how far in advance you book. Therefore, the prices mentioned above are a rough indication of the price per night to help you compare the different options. Use ‘click here' to see the latest prices on Agoda and Booking and book ahead to get the best deal.

2. Transportation costs in Sri Lanka

Let’s take a closer look at transportation in Sri Lanka. There are many ways to travel around the country, such as the train, bus, taxi and tuk tuk, and minivan.

A budget-friendly way to travel in Sri Lanka is by catching a local bus. Bus services are available in all of the larger cities and even most small towns, and they’re a great way to explore Sri Lanka.

Bus rides are a fairly chaotic affair but a lot of fun, with loud Sri Lankan music booming from the speakers and the bus honking loudly at every corner.

This is a great way to explore parts of Sri Lanka where there aren’t any train tracks. That being said, one of the best ways to explore Sri Lanka is by taking the train. I really enjoyed train travel in Sri Lanka!

In fact, one of the most beautiful train rides in the world runs from Badulla to Haputale. A train ticket for this amazing trip costs a mere 80LKR/€0,50/$0,50 per person.

Tuk-tuk rides are slightly more expensive and require some bargaining skills. But still very affordable compared to taxi fees anywhere in the world.

Altogether, (public) transportation is where Sri Lanka is really a lot cheaper than any other country I've visited, which basically means you can visit more beautiful places without breaking the bank!

The average cost for transport was 400LKR/€2,50/$2,75 per day. You can find detailed information about how to travel from A to B in Sri Lanka in this post.

3. Cost of food in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a wide range of delicious and unique culinary options that are worth trying. Some of the must-try dishes include:

• Lamprais: a rice and curry dish steamed in a banana leaf
• Kottu roti: a dish made with flatbread and vegetables (pictured above)
• Seeni sambol: a sweet and spicy condiment made with onions
• Hoppers: a type of bowl-shaped pancake.

For dessert, you should try watalappan, a custard-like dessert made with coconut milk and jaggery.

How much did we spend on food and drinks in Sri Lanka?

Good news: Sri Lankan food is not only really tasty, but it's also very affordable. That is if you eat local food at local restaurants. Eating Western Food always triples the price of dinner when traveling around Asia.

So when it comes to food, explore local markets and eat at local restaurants to find inexpensive meals. Also, try delicious street food whenever you have the chance!

Anyway, let's talk numbers.

We rarely spent more than 500LKR/€3/$3,50 per person on a meal, and more often it was just 100-250LKR per person!

As mentioned above, there are many delicious dishes to try, such as coconut roti, egg roti, vegetable roti, hoppers, rice and curries, and much more. Fruit juice is also widely available (pineapple is my favorite) and it's usually between 100-200LKR per glass.

On average we spent 2500LKR/€16/$17 per day. This also includes the costs for water, a 1.5-liter bottle costs 70-80LKR.

4. Cost of activities in Sri Lanka

Make sure to take advantage of the many free activities that Sri Lanka has to offer, such as hiking in Ella (or in one of Sri Lanka's 26 National Parks), exploring the tea plantations in Haputale, visiting cultural sites in Kandy, and snorkeling in Talalla.

Doing so will help you make the most of your vacation while still sticking to your budget.

When planning your Sri Lanka trip, it's worth looking into tour companies that offer affordable tours that can help you save money while still having a great experience.

Klook is the largest tour operator in Asia, but Get Your Guide has been working really hard on growing their offers as well so be sure to check out those websites as well when you're planning your Sri Lanka activities.

Some of the most worthwhile tours and activities in Sri Lanka are:

• Colombo private city tour: visit top Colombo attractions such as the National Museum, soak up the Indian Ocean views along Galle Face, dive into bustling Pettah Market, admire the Gangarama Temple, and more. Check availability.
• Sigiriya and Dambulla day trip (from Colombo): visit the historic rock fortress of Sigiriya and explore the large cave temple complex of Dambulla on a full-day trip from Colombo with a private driver. Check availability.
• Wildlife safari in Udawalawa National Park: explore an untouched wilderness and pristine nature as you look for herds of elephants and other animals with your experienced guide. Check availability.
• Ella Rock sunrise hike (with a guide): take an early morning hike up Ella Rock to meet the sunrise with breathtaking views of Hill Country (that's how this part of Sri Lanka is often referred to), mountains, and valleys. Check availability.
• Anuradhapura half-day tour: explore sacred places in Anuradhapura, such as theJaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwaneeliseya, and much more. Travel with a knowledgeable English-speaking guide and learn about the ancient history of this fascinating temple complex. Check availability.

How much did we spend on activities in Sri Lanka?

On average we spent 900LKR/€5,50/$6) per day on activities. In Colombo, Galle, and Kandy we did some city sightseeing. On the South coast, we went diving, snorkeling, and surfing.

In Ella and Haputale we did a couple of hikes and in the North, we explored Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, and Jaffna. Below you can find the details of all our paid activities:

We obviously did a lot more during our 1 month trip to Sri Lanka, but the rest of the activities were free!

Note: I didn’t include the costs for diving. We went diving in Weligama at Weligama Bay Dive Center. We paid $60 per person for 2 dives (including equipment, water, and fresh fruit).

5. Visa costs for Sri Lanka

We applied online for an e-visa to Sri Lanka. The visa was $35, and we paid online with a credit card, an easy breezy process.

As was getting through customs in Sri Lanka. Since we spent 26 days in the country, the average daily cost for the visa was 400LKR/€2,50/$2,75.

6. Miscellaneous costs in Sri Lanka

Some random costs in our Sri Lanka backpacking budget were laundry, mosquito spray, toothpaste, and (very important when you are trying to run a blog while traveling) a local SIM with lots of data.

We bought a SIM from Dialog, they have several plans but it's important to know that all plans are day/night plans.

This means that you’ll get part of the data for usage between 8 am-12 midnight and the other part of the data can only be used between 12 midnight and 8 am.

Anyway, on average we spent 300LKR/€2/$2 per day on miscellaneous items.

7. Travel insurance costs

I didn't include the cost of travel insurance in our Sri Lanka budget breakdown because we use our travel insurance for all our trips, not just for our Sri Lanka itinerary.

However, that doesn't take away the fact that making sure you have proper travel insurance is super important.

It helps protect you and your belongings in the event of a mishap during your travels. Furthermore, it provides coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost or stolen items, and more.

Also, having good travel insurance will provide you peace of mind, knowing that if something goes wrong, you have a safety net in place.

With so much to consider when planning a trip, having the right travel insurance can help ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey without stressing out about things that can go wrong.

Plan your trip like a pro with these tools:
✈️ Find the best flight deals on Kiwi.com.
? Get the best car rental deal for your road trip on Rentalcars.com.
?️ Find your dream accommodation on Booking.com or Agoda.
? Book the best tours via Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook.
? Plan your journey with theLonely Planet.
?️ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing.

Sri Lanka budget: in conclusion

So for everyone wondering: how much will a trip to Sri Lanka costs, you now have the answer! I hope this post convinced you to travel to Sri Lanka, it's a wonderful and very affordable country.

You can download the budget infographic below. Feel free to ask any questions by leaving a comment or sending me an email.

This post was updated in December 2022.