Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hikkaduwa and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $478 a month against $509 in Hikkaduwa, rent and utilities included – about $370 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

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Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $478 in Ratnapura.

Hikkaduwa $509
Ratnapura $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Hikkaduwa versus $768 in Ratnapura.

Hikkaduwa $826
Ratnapura $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,058 in Ratnapura.

Hikkaduwa $1,144
Ratnapura $1,058

Living in Hikkaduwa is roughly 6% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hikkaduwa 62% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$1.91 LKR 633

132.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 LKR 8,146

$9.12 LKR 3,020

169.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,508

$6.02 LKR 1,994

25.75%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 828

$2.09 LKR 693

19.62%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.78 LKR 258

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.1

$0.47 LKR 156

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 716

$1.92 LKR 635

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$2.67 LKR 884

12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.84 LKR 610

-14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$0.77 LKR 255

-31.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.63 LKR 207

26.98%

Eggs

$1.60 LKR 530

$1.12 LKR 370

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 LKR 4,637

$14.95 LKR 4,950

-6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$6.51 LKR 2,158

-25.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,406

$15.91 LKR 5,271

-54.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 LKR 2,265

$4.26 LKR 1,412

60.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$0.70 LKR 230

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,479

$4.22 LKR 1,398

5.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 406

$1.01 LKR 334

21.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.01 LKR 335

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.35 LKR 447

-39.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$0.46 LKR 153

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 LKR 3,419

$13.27 LKR 4,396

-22.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 LKR 4,537

$12.52 LKR 4,147

9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 625

$2.03 LKR 671

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$2.83 LKR 937

6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.38 LKR 125

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.47 LKR 155

-21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.97 LKR 322

37.11%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$19.5K LKR 6.5M

93.75%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$19.7K LKR 6.5M

107.24%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

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

$4.14 LKR 1,371

$2.06 LKR 683

100.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 LKR 6,960

$7.10 LKR 2,352

195.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.91 LKR 2,952

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$2.35 LKR 778

89.36%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,078

$10.54 LKR 3,491

74.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 LKR 5,565

$7.37 LKR 2,443

127.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

$86.4 LKR 28.6K

-10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

$26.10 LKR 8,645

64.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$77.1 LKR 25.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.0 LKR 18.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.8 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 LKR 57.1K

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 Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9%

Ratnapura

$259 54.2% 8.7% $21

Eating Out

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4%

Ratnapura

$78 16.4% 28.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7%

Ratnapura

$9.2 * 1.9% 88.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8%

Ratnapura

$59 12.3% 16.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8%

Ratnapura

$14 2.8% 52.9% $4.7

Getting Around

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4%

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9% 83% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Hikkaduwa

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Hikkaduwa vs $9.00 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $259, with Hikkaduwa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Hikkaduwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,342

52,100

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hikkaduwa Ratnapura 69 km

From you

Hikkaduwa
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

Hikkaduwa vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $763 in Hikkaduwa and $717 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.

Shoppers in Hikkaduwa 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 $9.00 versus $25.00 in Hikkaduwa. 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, Hikkaduwa 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.

Expats usually find Ratnapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Hikkaduwa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.