Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalutara and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $608 in Kalutara, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

Jump to prices

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Kalutara versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Kalutara $608
Ratnapura $477

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

Kalutara $888
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,168 in Kalutara versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Kalutara $1,168
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Kalutara is roughly 28% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kalutara 55% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,302

$1.95 LKR 647

101.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.40 LKR 8,110

$9.22 LKR 3,065

164.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 LKR 2,565

$6.06 LKR 2,013

27.39%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 822

$2.08 LKR 691

18.75%

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$0.73 LKR 244

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.7

$0.44 LKR 146

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$1.93 LKR 642

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 993

$2.77 LKR 921

7.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.84 LKR 612

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$0.79 LKR 263

-32.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$0.66 LKR 219

22.73%

Eggs

$1.69 LKR 561

$1.07 LKR 357

57.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 LKR 4,648

$14.73 LKR 4,896

-5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,637

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-22.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 LKR 2,484

$15.60 LKR 5,185

-52.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 LKR 2,166

$4.26 LKR 1,417

53.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$0.75 LKR 248

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 LKR 1,475

$4.14 LKR 1,377

7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.94 LKR 311

41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 345

$1.05 LKR 349

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$1.40 LKR 465

-40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 295

$0.46 LKR 154

93.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.43 LKR 144

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,367

$12.86 LKR 4,273

-21.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 LKR 4,244

$12.92 LKR 4,295

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 627

$2.09 LKR 693

-9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 993

$2.88 LKR 959

3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 LKR 41.30

$0.34 LKR 115

-64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.12 LKR 3,030

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 LKR 61.2

$0.44 LKR 146

-59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.00 LKR 331

32.00%

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

$44.1K LKR 14.7M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

123.15%

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

$40.0K LKR 13.3M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

103.46%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

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

$4.20 LKR 1,396

$2.07 LKR 687

102.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.29 LKR 6,745

$7.41 LKR 2,461

173.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.14 LKR 3,039

$9.13 LKR 3,033

0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,488

$2.39 LKR 794

87.45%

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

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,220 LKR 405.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.31 LKR 6,086

$10.48 LKR 3,483

74.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.57 LKR 5,508

$7.70 LKR 2,560

115.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.30 LKR 14.1K

$25.89 LKR 8,606

63.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.6 LKR 28.4K

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

56.78%

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 Kalutara: 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

Kalutara

$237 38.9%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 9.1% $22

Eating Out

Kalutara

$105 17.2%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 24.9% $26

Accommodation & Living

Kalutara

$86 14.1%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 36.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalutara

$83 13.6%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Kalutara

$70 11.5%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 17.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Kalutara

$18 3%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 23.1% $4.2

Getting Around

Kalutara

$11 1.8%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 63.8% $7

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in Kalutara vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $258, with Kalutara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Kalutara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,600

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

Kalutara Ratnapura 50 km

From you

Kalutara
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

Kalutara vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Kalutara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ratnapura the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $913 in Kalutara 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.

All in, you’ll spend $608 per month in Kalutara versus $477 in Ratnapura – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Kalutara pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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, Kalutara 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.