Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katunayaka and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $506 in Katunayaka, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Katunayaka
Learn more

Katunayaka Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

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Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $506 per month in Katunayaka vs $477 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Katunayaka $506
Ratnapura $477

A couple spends around $822 per month in Katunayaka vs $765 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Katunayaka $822
Ratnapura $765

A family of three spends $1,138 per month in Katunayaka vs $1,054 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Katunayaka $1,138
Ratnapura $1,054

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,278

$1.95 LKR 647

96.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.36 LKR 8,429

$9.22 LKR 3,066

175.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 LKR 2,491

$6.06 LKR 2,014

23.60%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 848

$2.08 LKR 691

22.60%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$0.73 LKR 244

-2.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.44 LKR 146

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 727

$1.93 LKR 642

13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

$2.77 LKR 921

11.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 544

$1.84 LKR 612

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$0.79 LKR 263

-27.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 254

$0.66 LKR 219

15.15%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 573

$1.07 LKR 357

60.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 LKR 4,503

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-8.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 LKR 1,627

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,481

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-52.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.50 LKR 2,162

$4.26 LKR 1,417

52.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 281

$0.75 LKR 248

12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 LKR 1,464

$4.14 LKR 1,378

6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 428

$0.94 LKR 311

37.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$1.05 LKR 349

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 253

$1.40 LKR 465

-45.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$0.46 LKR 154

106.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 144

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 LKR 3,409

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 LKR 4,251

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 636

$2.09 LKR 693

-8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 LKR 979

$2.88 LKR 959

2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$0.37 LKR 124

10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.44 LKR 146

-15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 LKR 464

$1.00 LKR 331

40.00%

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

$44.7K LKR 14.8M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

126.06%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.6M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

108.22%

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)

$4.33 LKR 1,441

$2.07 LKR 687

109.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.11 LKR 7,019

$7.41 LKR 2,462

184.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 LKR 1,462

$2.39 LKR 794

84.10%

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

$38.35 LKR 12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,203 LKR 399.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,138

$10.48 LKR 3,484

76.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,616

$7.70 LKR 2,561

119.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.36 LKR 13.7K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

59.75%

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 Katunayaka: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Katunayaka

$236 46.6%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 9.5% $22

Eating Out

Katunayaka

$105 20.7%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 25.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katunayaka

$84 16.6%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Katunayaka

$70 13.9%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 17.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Katunayaka

$8.8 * 1.7%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 58.2% $5.1

Getting Around

Katunayaka

$2.3 * 0.5%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 74.8% $1.7

Accommodation & Living

Katunayaka

- * 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 Katunayaka versus $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Katunayaka vs $258 in Ratnapura – so Katunayaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

Same time as Katunayaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,643

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

Katunayaka Ratnapura 79 km

From you

Katunayaka
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

Katunayaka vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Katunayaka is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $759 per month in Katunayaka and $715 in Ratnapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Katunayaka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Katunayaka and $9 in Ratnapura. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $506 in Katunayaka and $477 in Ratnapura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Katunayaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ratnapura to $506 in Katunayaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.