Federica from A Stroll Around The World shares the Sri Lanka trip cost including prices of accommodation, food, transport and attractions.
We know how hard it can be to budget and plan a trip to a new country. Prices online can vary and it can be hard to find a fixed range of prices for anything further than a hotel and flight. That is why we have created this Cost of Travel series where we ask travel experts and expats the travel costs and prices in their favourite countries and homes.
The exchange rate at the time of publishing (January 2022): $1 USD = £0.74 = 202 LKR Sri Lankan Rupee)
Why visit Sri Lanka?
As I was attracted by the enchanting archaeological ruins and the tea plantation landscape, I spent one week in Sri Lanka to experience this Southeastern Asian country. This road trip was designed as a compromise between my desire to cover the heritage and my husband’s wish to discover the underwater world of the country.
We ended up with a perfectly balanced itinerary among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the beauty of the colony era heritage, and a deep unwind in the jungle by the sea.
Cost of travel in Sri Lanka
Accommodation prices in Sri Lanka
Overall Sri Lanka is not an expensive country.
While we stayed only in luxury accommodation, the country yearly attracts backpackers offering a wide variety of lodging.
During our one week in Sri Lanka, we booked the first nights at two different Amaya resorts. To sleep in these five stars hotels, we spent on average $140 for the night.
Our third accommodation was an eco-resort in the south of Sri Lanka. Close to the beach, it cost us $235 per night.
However, in the cultural triangle, you can find mid-range rooms for $35 per night or even a bed in a dormitory for $5 or 7 per night. The price doesn’t vary in the area of the Central Highlands or near Ella.
In Nuwara Eliya, in the heart of the tea plantation area, you can find mid-range room at $35-70 per night or guest rooms for backpackers at $12-20 per night.
Transport costs in Sri Lanka
Food and drink prices in Sri Lanka
During our days in Sri Lanka, we dined every night in our hotels spending on average $40 per meal for two.
During the daytime, we experienced different options. Near the archaeological ruins of Polonnaruwa, we had a delicious lunch in a mud house where we paid $17 for two.
In the Central Highlands, we ate at sit-down restaurants spending $30, maximum $40 circa for two persons.
A bottle of water costs $0.28.
Activities and attractions in Sri Lanka
The main costs regard the visit to the UNESCO sites.
Entering inside Sigirya costs $30, while Polonnaruwa costs $25, and Dambulla $8.50.
In Kandy, you can visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic paying $8.40. For the same amount of money, you can visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya.
Furthermore, visiting an organic tea plantation costs less than $2 for a person.
How to save money in Sri Lanka
Things to know before you go to Sri Lanka
Helpful Resources
Travel essentials:
- We LOVE this camera for our travel photography.
- For a cheap, easy and compact camera, we use this to vlog and take photographs.
- We use this travel drone (but make sure to check drone laws in your chosen destination first).
- This is our favourite travel Insurance because it covers so many activities and travel situations that could arise on longer trips but also offers year coverage.
What to pack:
- No matter where we travel to, I always take these trusty hand sanitizer’s and a mini first aid kit.
- We love these toiletry bags (especially great for smaller bathrooms) and choose a laptop bag like this as our hand luggage.
- We keep our devices charged on long travel days with these lightweight battery packs and bring these worldwide travel adaptors on all our trips.
- I still struggle not to overpack so stick to using an expandable suitcase like these, over backpack and always take my trusty luggage scales to avoid being charged at the airport.
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