Exploring Sri Lanka on a Budget in 2026

Securing good food in Sri Lanka is an easy task because the Sri Lankan cuisine is divine. I had no idea what to expect from the food and assumed it would be fairly similar to Indian food and while it definitely has South Indian influences, they offer some wonderful dishes of their own. 

Must try foods in Sri Lanka include the classic rice and curry, kotthu, egg hoppers, wahtalappam and string hoppers.

On days where breakfast wasn’t included with the accommodation, I would get a selection of “short eats” such as samosas, egg roti, medu vada and egg rolls as these cost around 40 LKR per piece (£0.10 / $0.13) so they’re great value. As for main meals, on average, a dish such as a kotthu, fried rice or biryani at a local spot will cost 500 LKR to 1200 LKR (£1.20 – £2.85 / $1.60 – $3.80) which again is great value. If you’re travelling with someone or multiple people, sometimes it’s worth sharing dishes as the portion sizes are huge.

Let’s not forget drinks… tea, coconuts, fresh juice and falooda are all common drink options and they’re sold at great prices, epically as they’re made and sold fresh. Typically, as Brits we love tea so of course, I consumed it daily. It was readily available and always at a great price of around 120 LKR (£0.30 / $0.40). Coconuts are sold in lots of places too and they’ll open them up right in front of you, a great refreshing choice on the go and they too usually cost around 200 LKR (£0.50 / $0.65). You’ll find fresh juice stalls on the streets and even dedicated shops that sell juice for around 600 LKR (£1.45 / $1.95).