Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kegalle and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $591 in Kegalle, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Kegalle
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Kegalle Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Kegalle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$591

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $591 in Kegalle versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Kegalle $591
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $860 in Kegalle versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Kegalle $860
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,128 in Kegalle versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Kegalle $1,128
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Kegalle is roughly 24% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kegalle 57% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 LKR 1,018

$1.95 LKR 647

56.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.93 LKR 7,954

$9.22 LKR 3,066

159.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 LKR 2,436

$6.06 LKR 2,014

20.96%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 808

$2.08 LKR 691

16.83%

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

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.73 LKR 244

-41.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$0.44 LKR 146

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 711

$1.93 LKR 642

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 LKR 982

$2.77 LKR 921

6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 LKR 548

$1.84 LKR 612

-10.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.79 LKR 263

-40.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 LKR 225

$0.66 LKR 219

3.03%

Eggs

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.07 LKR 357

47.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 LKR 4,519

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-7.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,638

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-22.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 LKR 2,400

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-53.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 LKR 1,989

$4.26 LKR 1,417

40.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 267

$0.75 LKR 248

6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 LKR 1,481

$4.14 LKR 1,378

7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 407

$0.94 LKR 311

30.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 291

$1.05 LKR 349

-17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 261

$1.40 LKR 465

-44.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.46 LKR 154

-19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 141

$0.43 LKR 144

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 LKR 3,214

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-24.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 LKR 4,189

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 633

$2.09 LKR 693

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 LKR 881

$2.88 LKR 959

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 LKR 190

$0.34 LKR 115

67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.63 LKR 2,537

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 114

$0.44 LKR 146

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.00 LKR 331

38.00%

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

$43.0K LKR 14.3M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

117.68%

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

$36.3K LKR 12.1M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

84.53%

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

$58.6 LKR 19.5K

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

$4.27 LKR 1,419

$2.07 LKR 687

106.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.67 LKR 6,871

$7.41 LKR 2,462

178.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.65 LKR 6,532

$9.13 LKR 3,034

115.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 LKR 4,916

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 LKR 1,504

$2.39 LKR 794

89.12%

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

$37.83 LKR 12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,216 LKR 404.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.90 LKR 5,950

$10.48 LKR 3,484

70.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.22 LKR 5,060

$7.70 LKR 2,561

97.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.67 LKR 15.2K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-45.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

59.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$121 LKR 40.2K

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

59.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.8 LKR 30.2K

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

66.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 LKR 61.1K

$166 LKR 55.3K

10.44%

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 Kegalle: 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

Kegalle

$227 38.4%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 13.9% $32

Eating Out

Kegalle

$95 16.1%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 17.3% $16

Accommodation & Living

Kegalle

$91 15.4%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 39.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kegalle

$84 14.1%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Kegalle

$54 9.1%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 7% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kegalle

$29 4.9%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 51.5% $15

Getting Around

Kegalle

$12 2%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 67.1% $8.1

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 $121 in Kegalle and $76 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kegalle pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24 in Kegalle vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $258, with Kegalle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kegalle

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Kegalle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,900

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

Kegalle Ratnapura 64 km

From you

Kegalle
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

Kegalle vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Kegalle. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ratnapura the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Kegalle, 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: $121 in Kegalle versus $76 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $591 per month in Kegalle versus $477 in Ratnapura – Ratnapura is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Shoppers in Kegalle pay roughly 12% 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, Kegalle 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, Kegalle on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.