Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

For one person, living costs are similar in Nuwara Eliya and in Ratnapura: $500 and $477 a month, rent and utilities included.

24

Cost of Living Index in Nuwara Eliya
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Nuwara Eliya Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

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Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$500

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Nuwara Eliya versus $477 in Ratnapura.

Nuwara Eliya $500
Ratnapura $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $813 in Nuwara Eliya versus $765 in Ratnapura.

Nuwara Eliya $813
Ratnapura $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,126 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,054 in Ratnapura.

Nuwara Eliya $1,126
Ratnapura $1,054

Living in Nuwara Eliya is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nuwara Eliya 63% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LKR 1,259

$1.95 LKR 647

94.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.40 LKR 8,445

$9.22 LKR 3,066

175.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 LKR 2,497

$6.06 LKR 2,014

23.93%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 846

$2.08 LKR 691

22.60%

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

$0.36 LKR 121

$0.73 LKR 244

-50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.2

$0.44 LKR 146

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 718

$1.93 LKR 642

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,018

$2.77 LKR 921

10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.84 LKR 612

-11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$0.79 LKR 263

-27.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 248

$0.66 LKR 219

12.12%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 546

$1.07 LKR 357

53.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 LKR 4,526

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 LKR 1,575

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-25.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 LKR 2,439

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-52.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 LKR 2,152

$4.26 LKR 1,417

51.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 268

$0.75 LKR 248

6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 LKR 1,431

$4.14 LKR 1,378

4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 420

$0.94 LKR 311

34.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 335

$1.05 LKR 349

-3.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 256

$1.40 LKR 465

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 292

$0.46 LKR 154

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 144

4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.26 LKR 3,410

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-20.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 LKR 4,264

$12.92 LKR 4,296

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 630

$2.09 LKR 693

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 977

$2.88 LKR 959

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.37 LKR 124

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.44 LKR 146

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.00 LKR 331

38.00%

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

$43.8K LKR 14.6M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

121.60%

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

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

102.70%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

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

$4.32 LKR 1,435

$2.07 LKR 687

108.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 LKR 6,770

$7.41 LKR 2,462

174.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LKR 1,514

$2.39 LKR 794

90.38%

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

$38.33 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,215 LKR 403.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.89 LKR 5,947

$10.48 LKR 3,484

70.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.67 LKR 5,541

$7.70 LKR 2,561

116.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.52 LKR 13.8K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

60.37%

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 Nuwara Eliya: 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

Nuwara Eliya

$233 46.7%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 10.7% $25

Eating Out

Nuwara Eliya

$103 20.6%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 23.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuwara Eliya

$82 16.5%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Nuwara Eliya

$70 14%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 17.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nuwara Eliya

$9.1 * 1.8%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 52.7% $4.8

Getting Around

Nuwara Eliya

$2.1 * 0.4%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 86.3% $1.8

Accommodation & Living

Nuwara Eliya

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Nuwara Eliya vs $9 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $258, with Nuwara Eliya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

Same time as Nuwara Eliya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,500

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

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Nuwara Eliya Ratnapura 52 km

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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

Nuwara Eliya vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $749 in Nuwara Eliya 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.

Shoppers in Nuwara Eliya pay roughly 10% 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 $25 in Nuwara Eliya. 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.

Safety-wise, Nuwara Eliya 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.