Cost to Travel in Sri Lanka, Our 2024 Budget breakdown

Cost to Travel in Sri Lanka

Hey everyone, in this article, we’ll break down our full budget and share what it really costs to travel in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka quickly became one of our favorite destinations, and it’s a place we’d recommend to anyone. The people are incredibly friendly, traveling around is affordable, and the variety of landscapes and experiences is just amazing. You’ll find ancient sites in the north, lush mountains and tea plantations in the center, the famous train rides, and finally the laid-back surf beaches in the south.

What makes it even more special is how welcoming the country feels today, especially given its recent history. After two decades of internal conflict, a devastating tsunami, and even an economic crisis that left the country short on essentials like fuel, Sri Lanka is finally opening its doors again to travelers—and it feels good to be part of that.

For us, it was a 2-week Sri Lanka itinerary that included Dambulla, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Yala National Park, Mirissa, and Unawatuna. At no point did we feel constrained by our budget; in fact, we were able to upgrade our transport when needed and splurge a little more on accommodations in the south.

So, let’s get to this Sri Lanka trip cost.

Read: The perfect 2-Week Sri Lanka Itinerary

What’s included in our Sri Lanka trip cost

Our cost to travel in Sri Lanka and full budget breakdown includes what we spent on accommodation, transportation within the country, food, activities, and a few other side costs.

We’re not including the price of flights to Sri Lanka in this Sri Lanka trip cost, as this will vary a lot depending on where you’re traveling from.

All the amounts you’ll see here are what we spent as a couple, since that’s how we traveled. We’ve listed everything in euros (€) for clarity, but of course, during our trip we paid in Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR), so you’ll see both currencies mentioned.

We usually travel with Airalo eSIMs, but when we need unlimited data for work, we go with Holafly.

Our complete itinerary

To get some perspective on the Cost to travel in Sri Lanka, our detailed itinerary was the following:

• Day 1: Arrive in Sri-Lanka, overnight in Negombo
• Day 2: Transfer to Sigiriya, stop at the Dambulla Cave Temple, and then visit the Pidurangala Rock
• Day 3: Visit Lion Rock in the morning, and do a safari in the afternoon
• Day 4: Transfer to Kandy, visit the tooth temple and the royal botanical garden
• Day 5: Transfer to Nuwara Eliya, stop at the Ambuluwawa Mountain hill and tea factory.
• Day 6: Nuwara Eliya and the train to Ella
• Day 7: Hike to Ella Rock in the morning, rest by the swimming pool in the afternoon, cooking class in the evening
• Day 8: Hike to Little Adam’s Peak, Visit the Nine Arch Bridge, Transfer to Tissamaharama
• Day 9: Morning Safari in Yala National Park, transfer to Mirissa and Secret Beach in the afternoon
• Day 10: Visit Coconut Tree Hill and Turtle Beach in the morning, and in the afternoon, visit Spa Ceylon and Weligama
• Day 11: Visit Parot Rock and Mirissa beach, transfer to Unawatuna, stop at a turtle Hatchery, and then Galle Fort
• Day 12: Visit Turtle Beach in the morning, and in the afternoon, Unawatuna Beach and the Peace Pagoda
• Day 13: Visit Heenwella beach, Thalpe natural Poo,l and jungle beach. Transfer to the Airport and return.

Cost of Accommodation in Sri Lanka

Let’s start with the big whale of this Sri Lanka trip cost. We booked all our accommodations in Sri Lanka on booking.com. There we found various types of accommodation, from homestays to guesthouses and even hotels. In any case, we were always warmly welcomed by the Sri Lankans. And one thing is sure, they have outstanding hospitality.

To be honest, we were always looking for accommodation ranging from 30 to 80€, depending on where we were in the country. What’s important to mention is that the further south you get, the more accommodations get expensive.

Here is what Sri Lankan accommodations cost us:

• Negombo: 42 €/night
• Sigiriya: 25 €/night
• Kandy: 32 €/night
• Nuwara Eliya: 74 €/night
• Ella: 25 €/night
• Tissa (Yala National Park): 27 €/night
• Mirissa: 80 €/night
• Unawatuna: 75 €/night

Even if we loved our experience. On some occasions, we would recommend budgeting a little bit up to get an accommodation with a swimming pool, as Sri Lanka is super hot.

Here is a list of accommodations we recommend based on your budget.

• Negombo: Mango House Japanese Guest House
• Sigiriya: (€):  Shady Mango Villa, (€€): il Frangipane, (€€€): Sigiriya King’s Resort
• Kandy: (€):  Remli Villa, (€€): The Summit, (€€€): Aarunya Nature Resort & Spa
• Nuawra Eliya: (€):  Heidis Home, (€€): La Grande Villa, (€€€): W15 Lake Gregory
• Ella: (€): Lavendra Paradise, (€€): Chill Ville, View Point Hotel, (€€€): Tea Cabins
• Tissa: (€):  La safari inn, (€€): Hotel River Front, (€€€): Wild Coast Tented Lodge – Relais & Chateaux
• Mirissa: (€): Mimoza Mirissa, (€€): Peacock Villa, (€€€): Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa
• Unawatuna: (€): The Horizon Hill Top Villa, (€€): Sergeant House, (€€€): Agnus Unawatuna

If, like us, you mixed it a little bit but stayed on the lower end, we ended up with a Sri Lanka trip cost for accommodation of 585€ for two. This represents around 45€ per night for two.

Don’t forget to book your accommodations in advance – the best places always fill up quickly.

Cost of Transportation in Sri Lanka

The next big one in our Sri Lanka trip cost: Transportation around Sri Lanka is surprisingly easy and very affordable. The country isn’t big enough to justify flying, so your main options are drivers, buses, tuk-tuks, or trains.

Drivers: This is by far the most comfortable and convenient way to travel. It’s fast, air-conditioned, and honestly not as expensive as you might think. We used drivers the most during our trip, always arranging them through our accommodations a day in advance—it was super easy, even if it raised our total Sri Lanka trip cost.

You can also hire a driver for your entire trip, which many travelers do. This makes the journey smooth and flexible, as you can stop wherever you like along the way. Costs usually range between 35€ and 80€ for long distances.

Buses: The cheapest way to get around Sri Lanka and lower your Sri Lanka trip cost. Tickets cost just a few cents for short rides or up to 3–4€ for longer journeys. The downside is that buses can be crowded, take much longer, and often don’t have AC. But if you’re on a very tight budget, this is the way to go.

TukTuk: Tuk-tuks are the taxis of Sri Lanka and one of the most fun ways to get around. They’re great for short city trips, usually costing about 1.30€, while a return ride to a nearby attraction might cost between 3–8€. Longer intercity rides can go up to 11€.

If you want the full adventure, you can even rent a tuk-tuk and do a road trip around the island—most people we met used tuktuk-rental.com. Prices average around 20€ per day (about 300€ for two weeks), making it a great budget option for your total Sri Lanka trip cost.

Tip: always ask your accommodation to book tuk-tuks for you. It avoids scams, ensures fair prices, and often the driver will wait for you and bring you back.

Train: Sri Lankan trains are cheap, slow, often late… but an absolute experience. The main route worth doing is from Kandy to Ella (or Nuwara Eliya to Ella), which we highly recommend—it’s one of the most scenic train rides in the world.

There are five classes:

• 1st class reserved: air-conditioned (but windows and doors stay closed, so you miss the open-air views).
• 2nd class reserved: the most popular for tourists—book weeks in advance if you want a seat.
• 3rd class reserved: where we sat, and we loved it! Slightly more basic but still perfectly fine.
• 2nd and 3rd class unreserved: very cheap, but seats aren’t guaranteed. If the train is full, you’ll be standing the whole ride.

The main difference between 2nd and 3rd class is seat comfort (2+2 in 2nd vs 2+3 in 3rd). Prices vary depending on the class, but expect to pay 5–30€ for two tickets.

Our journey was the following:

• Airport to Negombo, Driver: 15€
• Negombo to Sigiriya, Driver: 75€
• Sigiriya to Kandy, Driver: 52€
• Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, Driver: 48€
• Nuwara Eliya to Ella: Train: 28€
• Ella to Tissa: Driver: 39€
• Tissa to Mirissa: Driver: 50€
• Mirissa to Unawatuna, Tuktuk: 12€
• Unwatuna to Airport, Dirver: 52€

So, transportation and tuk-tuks to move around represent in total 453€ of our total Sri Lanka trip cost.

Tip: We never travel without our DJI Mini 3 PRO drone anymore — it’s totally worth having to capture places from a whole new perspective.

Cost of food in Sri Lanka

When we travel, we often like to cook our own meals to cut costs and stick to a mostly plant-based diet. But in Sri Lanka, we didn’t cook once. Breakfast was always included in our accommodations, and for lunch and dinner we either ate at restaurants or directly where we were staying.

And honestly, we loved the food. Sri Lanka is packed with flavors, and even if you’re vegetarian or mostly plant-based, there’s always something for you. Some of the must-try dishes are:

• Dhal curries
• Vegetable curry
• Vegetable Kotu
• Egg Hoppers
• Coconut Sambals

As for prices, meals were really affordable compared to Europe. In the north, most of our meals cost between 10 and 18€ for two. In central Sri Lanka, it was closer to 12–20€ for two, while in the south, where it’s more touristy, meals went up to 18–28€ for two, including drinks and often a beer or two.

When we added up all our food expenses (water, drinks, and meals—but excluding breakfast since that was always included), we spent a total of 336€ for two people.

Tip: We use the DJI Action 4 to film our vlogs — compact, durable, and perfect for capturing every adventure.

Cost of Activities in Sri Lanka

Traveling to a new place always comes with a mix of activities, and Sri Lanka is no exception. The country is packed with things to do—temples, safaris, hiking, tea fields, and of course, relaxing on the beach. There’s really something for everyone here.

For us, Sigiriya was a highlight. Climbing Lion Rock and Pidurangala Rock was unforgettable, and we also went on safari nearby, which added even more excitement to our stay. On the way there, we stopped at the Dambulla Cave Temple, and it turned out to be one of the most impressive sites we visited.

In Kandy, the Royal Botanical Garden was a peaceful escape where we even ended up chatting with local students, which made the visit feel special. The road trip from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya was another favorite, with a stop at the quirky Ambuluwawa mountain tower and a visit to a tea factory for a taste of what makes Sri Lanka so famous.

The train ride to Ella is something we’ll never forget—one of those classic Sri Lanka experiences that lives up to the hype. Once in Ella, we loved the atmosphere of the little town, especially hiking up Ella Rock and seeing the iconic Nine Arch Bridge.

And of course, the safari in Yala National Park was a perfect way to wrap things up. We were lucky enough to spot elephants, a leopard, and even a sloth bear—most of the big ones you dream of seeing on safari.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the costs we had (always for 2 people):

• Cave temple of Dambulla: 14€
• Perindula Rock: 6,5€
• Safari in Sigiryia: 60€
• Tooth Temple Kandy: 13€
• Royal Botanical Garden Kandy: 20€
• Ambuluwawa Mountain Tower 13€
• Ella Rock: 6€
• Yala Safari: 115€
• Cooking Class: 40€
• Turtle Hatchery: 10€

And the total of all our actives goes up to 300€ for two in our total Sri Lanka trip cost.

Other Cost to Travel in Sri Lanka

VISA: As far as we have seen, most people will need a VISA to enter Sri-Lanka, so it is important to consider this expense in your Sri Lanka trip cost. However, it is super easy to get it as the application is done online. It takes up to 72 hours to have your visa process and with a tourist visa you will be able to stay up to 60 days, have multiple entries and a validity for up to 180 days. The Sri-Lanka Visa cost 50€. After, if you don’t want to bother yourself, you can use iVisa for the application.

Souvenir: We love to bring some little souvenirs. This time, we got great souvenir from SPA CEYLON such as soaps and local cosmetics. But we also got some coffee and Kiltup.  Altogether representing around 105€ of our Sri Lanka trip cost.

SIM Card: One of our least favorite things to do when we arrive in a new country is to have to figure out how to get a good sim card. From finding where is the shop, in the airport, or the city center? To deal with the registrations, giving ID and even finding which operator is the best… Well, it’s a true headache.

That’s why, we started using Airalo, for countries where our sim card doesn’t have free coverage. Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that gives you access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards) for 200+ countries/regions to be connected anywhere in the world the second you land.

For 10 GB, you will pay 11€, 20 GB, 17€.

Travel Insurance:  Frankly, we did not take a travel insurance. Our French credit card company is offering a full travel package that we have. So, if something happen to us, we are covered.

However, if you don’t have such coverage, a travel insurance is recommended for all. WorldNomads offers excellent travel insurance and covers most if not all that could happen during your time abroad.

Check our Google Map of Sri Lanka

Total Sri Lanka trip cost

It is time to sum up this Sri Lanka trip cost. In total, for 2-week in Sri Lanka, for two of us, the Sri Lanka trip cost was 1880€ which is 940€ per person and 72€ per day.

Our  detailed Sri Lanka trip cost is:

• Sri Lanka trip cost: Accommodation: 585€ in total, 292€ per person, 22,5€ per night per person.
• Sri Lanka trip cost: Transportation: 452€ in total, 226€ per person, 17,5€ per night per person.
• Sri Lanka trip cost: Food: 336€ in total, 168€ per person, 13€ per night per person.
• Sri Lanka trip cost: Activities: 300€ in total, 150€ per person, 11,5€ per night per person.
• Sri Lanka trip cost: Others: 207€ in total, 103€ per person, 8€ per night per person.

Read: The perfect 2-Week Sri Lanka Itinerary