Foods that you can eat for less than $1 ( One Dollar ) in Sri Lanka

Let's see what types of food we can eat for less than one dollar in Sri Lanka. This would be useful for both foreigners and locals to keep the cost of living low ( If you are having a tight budget ).

What are the foods that you can eat for less than one dollar in Sri Lanka?

Before we jump into the list of foods. Please kindly note that the price of food can vary based on quality and location as well. So whenever you want to get any prepared food, just make sure it is a bit crowded place ( more the people means the foods will be better right ! ). Also, visit small shops and food outlets as the price will be less in them most of the time.

So here is the list of foods you can eat cheaply or less than one dollar in Sri Lanka! ( 1 USD is approx. about LKR 185  )

1 - Rice and Curry in Sri Lanka

Rice is the staple food of Sri Lanka so it will be cheap in most places.  The price can vary depending on the place.

Vegetable rice and curry - LKR 100 - 130 ( $0.53 ~ $0.70 )

Fish rice and curry - LKR 120 - 150 ( $0.64 ~ $0.81 )

Chicken rice and curry - LKR 150 - 180 ( $0.81 ~ $0.97 )

( Normally each plate will include 3-4 veggie curries as well )

Tip to find cheap and good quality rice and curry in Sri Lanka? Look for places called 'Matara bath kade ' ( small places with name ' මාතර බත් කඩේ '  ). Try small 'Saiwar kade' ( vegetarian food shops  ), you can get low price rice and curry. Also try rice packets ( vegetable, fish, or chicken rice ) sold by food stalls ( that appear around lunch or dinner time close to cities or alone the main roads ).

Can I get the rice and curry this cheap in major restaurants? it will be higher in price at most restaurants but sometimes you will be lucky to find cheap places as well ( take away rice packets will be cheaper than dine in ).

2 - Short eats ( Buns, Rolls, Pastries, Wade, etc.. ) in Sri Lanka

Most of the busy Sri Lankans ( those who are going to work or school ) are used to eating short eats in the morning rather than rice or any other heavy type of food.   Unlike rice and curry prices, generally, you can find low cost ( less than dollar one ) high quality short eats in popular food outlets as well ( namely Perera and sons, Fab, Some Supermarket short eats outlets etc.. ). Also, you can get at cheap price from 'Chuun Pan Tuk Tuk's' ( trishaw's that sell short eats in the morning and evening ). One more thing is small food carts
close to bars! ( Very cheap rolls and patty available with them ! )

Plain Bun - LKR 10 onwards

Roast Paan ( kind of an oven-fried portion of bread. Very tasty with any local curry ) - LKR 10 onwards

Vegetable Bun - LKR 25 onwards

Fish Bun - LKR 30 onwards

Egg Bun - LKR 30 onwards

Sausage buns - LKR 50 onwards

Fish Patty - LKR 25 onwards

Wade / vadei - LKR 10 onwards

Isso vadei - LKR 25 onwards

Uludu vadei - LKr 25 onwards

Samosa - LKR 25 onwards

Fish Rolls - LKR 25 onwards

Chicken Pie - LKR 80 onwards

Piece of Pizza  ( small ok ! ) - LKR 100 onwards

Piece of cake - LKR 60 onwards

Fish Cutlets - LKR 20 onwards

Egg Roti - LKR 50 onwards

Fish Roti - LKR onwards

Parata - LKR 20 onwards

3 - Hoppers and curry in Sri Lanka

Plain hoppers - LKR 10 onwards

Egg Hoppers - LKR 40 onwards

You will generally get a free curry with the hoppers in most places ( lunumiris or katta sambal or pol sambol ) but some might charge you about few extra rupees (  LKR 5 - 30 for the curry ). Optionally you can get a dhal, fish, chicken or beef curry as well ( will cost about LKR 60 ~ 200 for a portion ). You can eat hoppers without curry, so don't have to worry about that!

4 - String Hoppers and curry in Sri Lanka

White Rice string hopper - LKR 2 onwards

Red Rice string hopper - LKR 2 onwards

Similar to hoppers, you will get a free curry ( pol sambol ) but sometime you will have to pay for it ( LKR 20). Unlike hoppers, you will need some kind of curry to eat string hoppers. Some shops will sell string hoppers as packets. You can get 20 ~ 25 string hopper packet for about LKR 60 - 100 which is more than enough for one person ( two can share it, if you have a small tummy ! =D )