Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dambulla and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $505 in Dambulla, rent and utilities included – about $340 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dambulla
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Dambulla Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Dambulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $505 per month in Dambulla vs $477 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Dambulla $505
Ratnapura $477

A couple spends around $818 per month in Dambulla vs $765 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Dambulla $818
Ratnapura $765

A family of three spends $1,131 per month in Dambulla vs $1,054 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Dambulla $1,131
Ratnapura $1,054

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 LKR 1,281

$1.95 LKR 647

97.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.00 LKR 8,311

$9.22 LKR 3,066

171.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 LKR 2,546

$6.06 LKR 2,014

26.40%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 821

$2.08 LKR 691

18.75%

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

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.73 LKR 244

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.44 LKR 146

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 LKR 753

$1.93 LKR 642

17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 975

$2.77 LKR 921

5.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.84 LKR 612

-11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 188

$0.79 LKR 263

-29.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 254

$0.66 LKR 219

16.67%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 542

$1.07 LKR 357

52.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 LKR 4,504

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-8.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 LKR 1,635

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-23.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 LKR 2,428

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-53.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 LKR 2,152

$4.26 LKR 1,417

51.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 289

$0.75 LKR 248

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 LKR 1,441

$4.14 LKR 1,378

4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 440

$0.94 LKR 311

40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 336

$1.05 LKR 349

-3.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 262

$1.40 LKR 465

-43.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 289

$0.46 LKR 154

89.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.43 LKR 144

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 LKR 3,440

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 LKR 4,214

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 627

$2.09 LKR 693

-9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 974

$2.88 LKR 959

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.07 LKR 23.76

$0.34 LKR 115

-79.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.44 LKR 146

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 456

$1.00 LKR 331

37.00%

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

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

121.39%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

108.49%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.9K

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

$4.30 LKR 1,431

$2.07 LKR 687

107.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.98 LKR 6,976

$7.41 LKR 2,462

183.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 LKR 1,520

$2.39 LKR 794

91.21%

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

$37.27 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,199 LKR 398.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,102

$10.48 LKR 3,484

75.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.43 LKR 5,462

$7.70 LKR 2,561

113.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 LKR 26.0K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

58.48%

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)

$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 Dambulla: 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

Dambulla

$234 46.4%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 10.3% $24

Eating Out

Dambulla

$104 20.7%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 24.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dambulla

$85 16.9%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Dambulla

$69 13.7%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 16.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Dambulla

$9.2 * 1.8%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 52% $4.8

Getting Around

Dambulla

$2.5 * 0.5%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 55.5% $1.4

Accommodation & Living

Dambulla

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

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 in Dambulla versus $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Dambulla vs $258 in Ratnapura – so Dambulla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Dambulla

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

Same time as Dambulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,800

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

Dambulla Ratnapura 140 km

From you

Dambulla
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

Dambulla vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $505 in Dambulla, $477 in Ratnapura – Ratnapura comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $757 per month in Dambulla and $715 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 in Dambulla and $9 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 $505 in Dambulla and $477 in Ratnapura. That makes Ratnapura about 6% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $505 in Dambulla and $477 in Ratnapura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.