Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anuradhapura and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $506 in Anuradhapura, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Anuradhapura
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Anuradhapura Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Anuradhapura 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 Anuradhapura and in Ratnapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $506 per month in Anuradhapura vs $477 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Anuradhapura $506
Ratnapura $477

A couple spends around $820 per month in Anuradhapura vs $766 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Anuradhapura $820
Ratnapura $766

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Anuradhapura vs $1,056 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Anuradhapura $1,134
Ratnapura $1,056

Anuradhapura costs about 6% more than Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Anuradhapura and Ratnapura are more affordable than the global median – Anuradhapura 63% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 LKR 1,242

$1.98 LKR 654

89.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.57 LKR 8,139

$9.04 LKR 2,994

171.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 LKR 2,490

$5.96 LKR 1,974

26.17%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 810

$2.12 LKR 704

15.09%

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

$0.68 LKR 227

$0.75 LKR 247

-9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.47 LKR 156

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 738

$1.94 LKR 644

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 990

$2.67 LKR 883

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 LKR 534

$1.85 LKR 614

-12.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 189

$0.78 LKR 259

-26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.61 LKR 204

32.79%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.06 LKR 353

53.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 LKR 4,590

$14.90 LKR 4,934

-6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 LKR 1,630

$6.25 LKR 2,071

-21.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,405

$15.90 LKR 5,266

-54.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,208

$4.27 LKR 1,416

56.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 286

$0.74 LKR 245

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,476

$4.35 LKR 1,441

2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 418

$0.95 LKR 314

32.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 330

$1.00 LKR 332

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 274

$1.38 LKR 457

-39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.46 LKR 151

102.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 LKR 3,441

$13.09 LKR 4,337

-20.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 LKR 4,330

$12.86 LKR 4,261

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 LKR 648

$2.02 LKR 668

-2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 961

$2.79 LKR 925

3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 114

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.35 LKR 115

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.43 LKR 143

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 443

$0.91 LKR 302

47.25%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

119.91%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$19.5K LKR 6.5M

105.31%

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

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

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

$4.23 LKR 1,401

$2.07 LKR 686

104.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.09 LKR 6,984

$7.38 LKR 2,445

185.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.94 LKR 2,963

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 LKR 1,460

$2.40 LKR 793

83.75%

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

$38.06 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,224 LKR 405.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,115

$10.42 LKR 3,452

77.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,515

$7.54 LKR 2,497

120.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

$83.1 LKR 27.5K

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.98 LKR 13.9K

$25.42 LKR 8,419

65.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 LKR 25.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.3 LKR 18.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.1 LKR 28.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 LKR 57.0K

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 Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Anuradhapura

$237 46.9%

Ratnapura

$259 54.2% 9% $21

Eating Out

Anuradhapura

$103 20.3%

Ratnapura

$79 16.6% 23.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anuradhapura

$84 16.6%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Anuradhapura

$71 14%

Ratnapura

$57 11.9% 19.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Anuradhapura

$8.8 * 1.7%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 55.8% $4.9

Getting Around

Anuradhapura

$2.3 * 0.5%

Ratnapura

$3.9 * 0.8% 72.1% $1.6

Accommodation & Living

Anuradhapura

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Anuradhapura versus $9.00 in Ratnapura. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Anuradhapura vs $259 in Ratnapura – so Anuradhapura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

Same time as Anuradhapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,200

52,100

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Anuradhapura Ratnapura 180 km

From you

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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

Anuradhapura vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $506 in Anuradhapura, $477 in Ratnapura – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $759 per month in Anuradhapura and $716 in Ratnapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Anuradhapura and $9.00 in Ratnapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $506 in Anuradhapura and $477 in Ratnapura. That's a gap of about 6%.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $506 in Anuradhapura and $477 in Ratnapura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ratnapura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ratnapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Anuradhapura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.