Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arugam Bay and Ratnapura

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Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$471

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 LKR 659

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.15 LKR 3,028

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 LKR 1,949

Cappuccino

$2.17 LKR 718

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

$0.74 LKR 245

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 LKR 155

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 639

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 LKR 908

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 LKR 586

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 LKR 247

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 LKR 208

Eggs

$1.11 LKR 368

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.11 LKR 5,000

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 LKR 2,086

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.80 LKR 5,229

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 LKR 1,382

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 LKR 237

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 LKR 1,397

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 348

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 LKR 451

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 LKR 154

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 LKR 4,270

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,260

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 691

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 LKR 931

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 145

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 LKR 322

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

$19.5K LKR 6.4M

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

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

$2.08 LKR 688

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.36 LKR 2,435

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.19 LKR 3,041

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 LKR 815

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.68 LKR 3,535

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.54 LKR 2,495

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 LKR 28.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.29 LKR 8,366

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.6 LKR 25.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.9 LKR 18.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.2 LKR 27.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 LKR 55.3K

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

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$258 54%

Eating Out

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$80 16.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Accommodation & Living

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$14 3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$9.4 * 2%

Getting Around

Arugam Bay

–

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9%

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

Good to know

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

Same time as Arugam Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

52,100

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Arugam Bay Ratnapura 160 km

From you

Arugam Bay
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

Arugam Bay vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – 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 Arugam Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ratnapura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.