Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentota and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $772 in Bentota, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bentota outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

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Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$772

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Bentota versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Bentota $772
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $888 in Bentota versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Bentota $888
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,005 in Bentota versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Bentota $1,005
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Bentota is roughly 62% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bentota 43% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 LKR 1,264

$1.95 LKR 647

94.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.01 LKR 3,992

$9.22 LKR 3,066

30.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 LKR 2,500

$6.06 LKR 2,014

24.09%

Cappuccino

$2.39 LKR 795

$2.08 LKR 691

14.90%

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

$0.72 LKR 241

$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)

$2.24 LKR 744

$1.93 LKR 642

16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 996

$2.77 LKR 921

8.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 539

$1.84 LKR 612

-11.96%

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

$1.70 LKR 565

$1.07 LKR 357

58.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 LKR 4,559

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-6.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 LKR 1,100

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-48.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.40 LKR 1,464

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-71.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 LKR 2,229

$4.26 LKR 1,417

57.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 247

$0.75 LKR 248

-1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,421

$4.14 LKR 1,378

3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 294

$0.94 LKR 311

-6.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$1.05 LKR 349

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 262

$1.40 LKR 465

-43.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 309

$0.46 LKR 154

102.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.43 LKR 144

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 LKR 3,383

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-20.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 LKR 637

$2.09 LKR 693

-8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,015

$2.88 LKR 959

5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 62.3

$0.34 LKR 115

-44.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.44 LKR 146

-29.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.00 LKR 331

32.00%

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

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

123.48%

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

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

109.55%

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

$57.9 LKR 19.3K

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

$2.30 LKR 764

$2.07 LKR 687

11.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 LKR 3,093

$7.41 LKR 2,462

25.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 LKR 1,546

$2.39 LKR 794

94.56%

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

$38.46 LKR 12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,196 LKR 397.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.92 LKR 5,959

$10.48 LKR 3,484

70.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.78 LKR 5,577

$7.70 LKR 2,561

117.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.02 LKR 14.0K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 LKR 184.0K

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

627.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 LKR 99.8K

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

449.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 LKR 55.3K

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 Bentota: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bentota

$300 38.9%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 81.8% $245

Groceries & Markets

Bentota

$217 28.2%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 18.8% $41

Eating Out

Bentota

$103 13.3%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 23.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Bentota

$70 9.1%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 17.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentota

$70 9%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 86.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Bentota

$9.3 * 1.2%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 49.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 47.4% $1.3

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 $553 in Bentota and $76 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12 in Bentota vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $258, with Bentota cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bentota

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

Same time as Bentota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bentota Ratnapura 53 km

From you

Bentota
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

Bentota vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,158 in Bentota and $715 in Ratnapura to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $553 in Bentota versus $76 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bentota pay roughly 16% 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 $12 in Bentota. 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.