Sri Lanka travel costs, explained (no fluff, just facts)

Hi Reader,

We are going to be completely open and transparent about money and the cost of travel to Sri Lanka.

Because let’s be honest, not many people are completely open about their finances. Or provide you with a breakdown of their actual costs. That’s where we are different.

We’re also going to share our tips on how to set a realistic travel budget. That way you know exactly what to expect when travelling to Sri Lanka.

But before we dive in, here’s the truth! Sri Lanka is an affordable country to visit and can fit around any budget style. Whether you’re a backpacker looking for cheap hostels and homestays, to luxury escapes, it is all possible. You just need to plan wisely.

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Breaking down the costs

The first thing you need to do, when creating a realistic budget, is to break down your costs, between flights, accommodation, food & drinks, transport costs, activities and entrance fees.

To help you set a realistic budget, you can download our free budget and savings tracker. Where you can track as you go and analyse the data to establish if you stayed on target or overspent.

Next, you need to do some research by checking flight prices and accommodation prices, before establishing estimated costs for food and drinks, transport costs, activities and entrance fees.

You can check flights and accommodation prices with Expedia. You can easily plan and book your trip with a selection of package deals, flights, accommodation, activities, and more.

A budget for food, drinks, and transport will be an estimate based on your research. But to help you define your budget further, we have a detailed guide on how to set a realistic budget. We also have a detailed guide on how much does it cost to visit Sri Lanka, the full breakdown.

You can be a little more specific with your budget when it comes to activities and entrance fees. Just visit the attractions website directly for accurate prices and you can even book tickets in advance.

How much do we spend in Sri Lanka?

OK, we have visited Sri Lanka several times over the last 15 years and from our experience, it costs us between £2500 for each trip to Sri Lanka. That includes flights for 2 people, the occasional homestays and hotels (Shams family have a flat, or we stay with friends and family in Colombo, which is our base), the occasional meal in a restaurant or hotel, transport and attraction costs.

So that’s about £1250 per person for 2-3 weeks in Sri Lanka.

It is possible to spend less than this if you are very frugal with your money and stay in hostels and homestays, only eat out at local restaurants and choose the attractions and activities wisely.

But at the other end of the scale, it’s possible to spend at least £2000.00 per person, if you prefer the more luxury travel style.

If you do your research and have a realistic budget from the outset, then you should achieve your budget travel goal.

Do you think spending over £1000 on a trip for 2-3 weeks is reasonable or too expensive? Let us know, by hitting reply to this email. We would love to hear from you.

Money matters – currency and exchange

This question pops up frequently. What currency should I take? Can I exchange money easily in Sri Lanka?

Ok, so Sri Lanka is a closed currency, which means you can’t purchase Sri Lankan Rupees outside of Sri Lanka.

But cash is the preferred method of payment.

You have a couple of options.

Take enough cash to Sri Lanka for the entire trip and exchange the cash as you go
Take enough cash with you until you reach a cash point and withdraw money.

Taking large sums of money across the border isn’t always recommended, especially if you lose the money or it’s stolen. And don’t forget there is a limit per person on how much cash you can carry with you, due to money laundering etc.

In the last few years, we have taken enough cash with us to Sri Lanka and then used a travel card to use in large shops and hotels, or we withdraw money at ATMs. We have also taken the cash with us and deposited into Shams Sri Lankan account for security and used a mixture of cash and card payments.

The travel card we use is Revolut, we can transfer money from our day to day account to our Revolut account and then use ATMs to withdraw in local currency. There are other providers, such as Wise and Monzo to name a few. Or you can get a travel card, with a preloaded amount with the Post Office in the UK, etc. Do you research to find the best option for you.

Now with the Sri Lankan Rupee being a closed currency, you can take GBP, USD, AUD, Euros, before exchanging a small sum of the currency into Rupees at the airport, and changing the rest at banks or authorised money exchange places.

Key takeaways

Sri Lanka works for every budget — it’s just about knowing where to splurge and where to save.
Plan your transport and activities ahead to avoid surprises.
Keep a small mix of cash and card handy and always use official exchange options.

With a little planning, you can enjoy everything this incredible island has to offer, from golden beaches to lush mountains, without worrying about blowing your budget.

We’d love to hear from you: What’s your ideal Sri Lanka adventure, budget-friendly, mid-range, or a little luxury? Hit reply and share your plans with us, we can’t wait to help you make them a reality!

Happy travelling

Bev & Shams

P.S. We challenge you to set a budget of less than £1000 per person and achieve this goal. If you do, let us know by hitting reply and we’ll send you a prize.