Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negombo and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $396 a month against $477 in Ratnapura, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
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Negombo Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

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Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$396

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $396 in Negombo versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Negombo $396
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in Negombo versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Negombo $639
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $883 in Negombo versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Negombo $883
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Negombo costs roughly 17% less than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negombo 71% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,245

$1.95 LKR 647

91.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.39 LKR 5,451

$9.22 LKR 3,067

77.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 LKR 2,462

$6.06 LKR 2,014

22.11%

Cappuccino

$1.28 LKR 427

$2.08 LKR 691

-38.46%

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

$0.73 LKR 242

$0.73 LKR 244

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.0

$0.44 LKR 146

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 LKR 736

$1.93 LKR 642

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 LKR 1,012

$2.77 LKR 921

9.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.84 LKR 612

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 187

$0.79 LKR 263

-29.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 251

$0.66 LKR 219

13.64%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.07 LKR 357

52.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 LKR 4,494

$14.73 LKR 4,899

-8.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 LKR 1,442

$6.39 LKR 2,126

-32.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 LKR 2,026

$15.60 LKR 5,188

-60.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 LKR 590

$4.26 LKR 1,418

-58.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 LKR 224

$0.75 LKR 248

-10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 LKR 766

$4.14 LKR 1,378

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 385

$0.94 LKR 311

23.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 264

$1.05 LKR 349

-24.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$1.40 LKR 466

-40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$0.46 LKR 154

106.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.43 LKR 144

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 LKR 3,390

$12.86 LKR 4,275

-20.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 LKR 4,343

$12.92 LKR 4,297

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 650

$2.09 LKR 694

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 LKR 972

$2.88 LKR 959

1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.34 LKR 115

-8.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.44 LKR 146

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 298

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.00 LKR 332

2.00%

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

$43.3K LKR 14.4M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

119.20%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

102.82%

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

$25.79 LKR 8,576

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

$4.22 LKR 1,403

$2.07 LKR 688

103.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 LKR 6,795

$7.41 LKR 2,463

175.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.34 LKR 5,100

$9.13 LKR 3,035

68.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.00 LKR 2,994

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 LKR 817

$2.39 LKR 795

2.93%

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

$37.18 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$458 LKR 152.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.13 LKR 3,037

$10.48 LKR 3,485

-12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.32 LKR 5,427

$7.70 LKR 2,561

111.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.70 LKR 11.9K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-57.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.49 LKR 8,143

$25.89 LKR 8,611

-5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.6 LKR 18.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 LKR 59.1K

$166 LKR 55.3K

6.91%

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 Negombo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negombo

$194 49.1%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 32.9% $64

Eating Out

Negombo

$89 22.4%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 11.4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negombo

$50 12.8%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 81.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Negombo

$39 9.7%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 49.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Negombo

$20 5.1%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 31.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.9%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 17.9% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Negombo

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Negombo pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16 in Negombo vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $258, with Negombo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Negombo

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

Same time as Negombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,449

52,100

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Negombo Ratnapura 86 km

From you

Negombo
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

Negombo vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ratnapura. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Negombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Negombo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $396 per month in Negombo versus $477 in Ratnapura – Negombo is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ratnapura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Negombo 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, Negombo and Ratnapura are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.