Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beruwala and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $503 in Beruwala, rent and utilities included – about $310 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Beruwala
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Beruwala Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Beruwala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $503 in Beruwala versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Beruwala $503
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $816 in Beruwala versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Beruwala $816
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,129 in Beruwala versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Beruwala $1,129
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Beruwala 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: Beruwala 63% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LKR 1,258

$1.95 LKR 647

94.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.24 LKR 8,390

$9.22 LKR 3,065

173.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 LKR 2,479

$6.06 LKR 2,013

23.10%

Cappuccino

$2.48 LKR 824

$2.08 LKR 691

19.23%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$0.73 LKR 244

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.9

$0.44 LKR 146

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 LKR 715

$1.93 LKR 642

11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 LKR 1,031

$2.77 LKR 921

11.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 518

$1.84 LKR 612

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 179

$0.79 LKR 263

-31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.66 LKR 219

22.73%

Eggs

$1.69 LKR 563

$1.07 LKR 357

57.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 LKR 4,501

$14.73 LKR 4,896

-8.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 LKR 1,626

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 LKR 2,441

$15.60 LKR 5,185

-52.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.50 LKR 2,160

$4.26 LKR 1,417

52.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.75 LKR 248

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$4.14 LKR 1,377

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.94 LKR 311

41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 348

$1.05 LKR 349

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 273

$1.40 LKR 465

-41.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 LKR 298

$0.46 LKR 154

95.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 144

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 LKR 3,475

$12.86 LKR 4,273

-18.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 LKR 4,237

$12.92 LKR 4,295

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 LKR 653

$2.09 LKR 693

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,017

$2.88 LKR 959

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.44 LKR 146

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 459

$1.00 LKR 331

38.00%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

122.55%

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

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

104.86%

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)

$4.32 LKR 1,436

$2.07 LKR 687

108.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.10 LKR 7,014

$7.41 LKR 2,461

184.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,033

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,528

$2.39 LKR 794

92.47%

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

$38.09 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,195 LKR 397.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.21 LKR 6,051

$10.48 LKR 3,483

73.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.39 LKR 5,447

$7.70 LKR 2,560

112.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.53 LKR 14.1K

$25.89 LKR 8,606

64.27%

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)

$152 LKR 50.6K

$166 LKR 55.3K

-8.40%

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 Beruwala: 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

Beruwala

$235 46.7%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 10.1% $24

Eating Out

Beruwala

$103 20.5%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 23.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beruwala

$84 16.7%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Beruwala

$70 13.9%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 17.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Beruwala

$9.2 * 1.8%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 51.2% $4.7

Getting Around

Beruwala

$2.1 * 0.4%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 88.1% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Beruwala

- * 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 9% 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 Beruwala vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $258, with Beruwala cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Beruwala

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

Same time as Beruwala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,300

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

Beruwala Ratnapura 52 km

From you

Beruwala
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

Beruwala vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Beruwala. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Beruwala pay roughly 9% 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 Beruwala. 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, Beruwala and Ratnapura are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.