Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $541 in Badulla, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$541

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $541 in Badulla versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Badulla $541
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $870 in Badulla versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Badulla $870
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,199 in Badulla versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Badulla $1,199
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Badulla is roughly 14% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Badulla 60% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 LKR 1,230

$1.95 LKR 647

89.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 LKR 8,118

$9.22 LKR 3,066

164.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 LKR 2,492

$6.06 LKR 2,014

23.76%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 818

$2.08 LKR 691

18.27%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.73 LKR 244

-1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.44 LKR 146

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 738

$1.93 LKR 642

15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

$2.77 LKR 921

11.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.84 LKR 612

-11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 177

$0.79 LKR 263

-32.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 206

$0.66 LKR 219

-6.06%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$1.07 LKR 357

54.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 LKR 4,515

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-7.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 LKR 1,176

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-44.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 LKR 2,451

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-52.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 LKR 2,222

$4.26 LKR 1,417

56.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$0.75 LKR 248

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 LKR 1,497

$4.14 LKR 1,378

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$0.94 LKR 311

36.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 333

$1.05 LKR 349

-4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 274

$1.40 LKR 465

-41.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 314

$0.46 LKR 154

104.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.43 LKR 144

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 LKR 3,422

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-19.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 LKR 4,183

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$2.09 LKR 693

-8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 976

$2.88 LKR 959

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.44 LKR 146

-15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.00 LKR 331

39.00%

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

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

124.86%

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

$40.8K LKR 13.6M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

107.60%

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

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

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

$4.29 LKR 1,425

$2.07 LKR 687

107.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,929

$7.41 LKR 2,462

181.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 LKR 1,503

$2.39 LKR 794

89.12%

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

$37.89 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.20 LKR 6,052

$10.48 LKR 3,484

73.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 LKR 5,536

$7.70 LKR 2,561

116.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 LKR 25.7K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 LKR 24.8K

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$45.64 LKR 15.2K

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

-16.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 30.0K

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

6.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,517 LKR 1.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$759 LKR 252.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 LKR 75.5K

$166 LKR 55.3K

36.54%

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 Badulla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$228 42.1%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 13.2% $30

Eating Out

Badulla

$103 19%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 23.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$84 15.6%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$69 12.8%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 16.5% $11

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$46 8.4%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 19.6% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 53.9% $4.9

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 76.3% $1.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75 in Badulla and $76 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Badulla pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Badulla vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $258, with Badulla cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Badulla

🌤 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

Badulla Ratnapura 80 km

From you

Badulla
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

Badulla vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Badulla, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $75 in Badulla versus $76 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Badulla pay roughly 12% 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 $24 in Badulla. 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.

Safety-wise, Badulla and Ratnapura are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ratnapura wins on affordability, Badulla on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.