Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Ella 4 vs Mirissa 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Ella | Mirissa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 1,000$3.33 | Rs 1,000$3.33 | similar |
| Street food1 item | Rs 600$2 | Rs 600$2 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 3,000$10 | Rs 3,500$11.7 | Ella โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 1,000$3.33 | Rs 900$3 | Mirissa โ10% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 1,100$3.67 | Rs 700$2.33 | Mirissa โ36% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 2,000$6.67 | Rs 1,800$6 | Mirissa โ10% |
| Bottled water | Rs 80$0.27 | Rs 80$0.27 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 180$0.6 | Rs 200$0.67 | Ella โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 1,500$5 | Rs 600$2 | Mirissa โ60% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 800$2.67 | Rs 350$1.17 | Mirissa โ56% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 50$0.17 | Rs 50$0.17 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 4,000$13.3 | Rs 1,800$6 | Mirissa โ55% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 15,000$50 | Rs 13,000$43.3 | Mirissa โ13% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 50,000$167 | Rs 60,000$200 | Ella โ17% |
| Laundry | Rs 400$1.33 | Rs 400$1.33 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 2,500$8.33 | Rs 1,100$3.67 | Mirissa โ56% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 800$2.67 | Rs 700$2.33 | Mirissa โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 5,000$16.7 | Rs 6,000$20 | Ella โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 6,000$20 | Rs 12,000$40 | Ella โ50% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 1,000$3.33 | Rs 2,300$7.67 | Ella โ57% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Mirissa is 8% cheaper than Ella. Daily budget $90.1 vs $77.2; a month $1,090 vs $1,065.
About the same: Ella 2.8/5, Mirissa 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ella is about $1,090 and Mirissa about $1,065 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.