Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $513 in Kandy, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kandy outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $513 in Kandy versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Kandy $513
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Kandy versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Kandy $728
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $943 in Kandy versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Kandy $943
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Kandy is roughly 8% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$1.95 LKR 647

36.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$9.22 LKR 3,066

41.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$6.06 LKR 2,014

-0.99%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$2.08 LKR 691

-8.65%

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

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.73 LKR 244

-28.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$0.44 LKR 146

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$1.93 LKR 642

-3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$2.77 LKR 921

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$1.84 LKR 612

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.79 LKR 263

-34.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.66 LKR 219

16.67%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.07 LKR 357

59.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-65.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-55.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$4.26 LKR 1,417

-26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$0.75 LKR 248

12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$4.14 LKR 1,378

-58.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$0.94 LKR 311

37.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.05 LKR 349

-2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$1.40 LKR 465

-40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.46 LKR 154

-6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.43 LKR 144

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-37.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$2.09 LKR 693

-7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.88 LKR 959

-27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$0.34 LKR 115

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.37 LKR 124

10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.44 LKR 146

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$1.00 LKR 331

15.00%

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

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

-29.27%

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

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

87.00%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

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

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$2.07 LKR 687

86.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

$7.41 LKR 2,462

71.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$9.13 LKR 3,034

18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$2.39 LKR 794

14.64%

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

$21.65 LKR 7,199

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$10.48 LKR 3,484

74.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$7.70 LKR 2,561

31.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

$25.89 LKR 8,608

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

126.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

106.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

10.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

$166 LKR 55.3K

57.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kandy: 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

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 55.7% $92

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 51.6% $58

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 2% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 87.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 4.6% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 14.8% $2.4

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 44.9% $3.2

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 $172 in Kandy and $76 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kandy pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Kandy vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $166 vs $258, with Kandy cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

Same time as Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

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

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Between locations

Kandy Ratnapura 73 km

From you

Kandy
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

Kandy vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Kandy, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $172 in Kandy versus $76 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kandy pay roughly 36% 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 $13 in Kandy. 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, Kandy and Ratnapura are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ratnapura wins on affordability, Kandy on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.