Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amparai and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $502 in Amparai, rent and utilities included – about $300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
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Amparai Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amparai and in Ratnapura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amparai and in Ratnapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Amparai versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Amparai $502
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $814 in Amparai versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Amparai $814
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,126 in Amparai versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Amparai $1,126
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Amparai is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Amparai 63% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LKR 1,261

$1.95 LKR 647

94.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.61 LKR 8,183

$9.22 LKR 3,066

166.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 LKR 2,467

$6.06 LKR 2,014

22.44%

Cappuccino

$2.48 LKR 824

$2.08 LKR 691

19.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LKR 221

$0.73 LKR 244

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.4

$0.44 LKR 146

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$1.93 LKR 642

16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 978

$2.77 LKR 921

6.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 544

$1.84 LKR 612

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.79 LKR 263

-32.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.66 LKR 219

22.73%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 573

$1.07 LKR 357

60.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 LKR 4,636

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 LKR 1,666

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 LKR 2,529

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-51.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.65 LKR 2,210

$4.26 LKR 1,417

56.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 287

$0.75 LKR 248

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 LKR 1,429

$4.14 LKR 1,378

3.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 422

$0.94 LKR 311

35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$1.40 LKR 465

-40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.46 LKR 154

104.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

$0.43 LKR 144

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 LKR 3,439

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-19.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 LKR 4,298

$12.92 LKR 4,296

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 653

$2.09 LKR 693

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 973

$2.88 LKR 959

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 125

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.44 LKR 146

-15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 447

$1.00 LKR 331

34.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.5K LKR 14.8M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

125.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

109.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.23 LKR 1,407

$2.07 LKR 687

104.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.72 LKR 6,887

$7.41 LKR 2,462

179.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$1.84 LKR 610

$2.39 LKR 794

-23.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 407.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.05 LKR 6,002

$10.48 LKR 3,484

72.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 LKR 5,611

$7.70 LKR 2,561

119.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-8.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.12 LKR 14.0K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

62.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

$166 LKR 55.3K

-44.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amparai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Amparai

$239 47.5%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 8.3% $20

Eating Out

Amparai

$103 20.6%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 23.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amparai

$85 16.9%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Amparai

$70 13.9%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 17% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Amparai

$3.7 * 0.7%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 279% $10

Getting Around

Amparai

$2.2 * 0.5%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 76.3% $1.7

Accommodation & Living

Amparai

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Ratnapura pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Amparai vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $258, with Amparai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Amparai

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

Same time as Amparai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

52,100

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Amparai Ratnapura 160 km

From you

Amparai
Ratnapura

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amparai vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Amparai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Amparai pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratnapura – a meal for two runs $9 versus $25 in Amparai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ratnapura gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.