Cost of Living Comparison Between Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura Cost of Living Comparison Between Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $519 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $517 in Ratnapura, rent included.

A couple spends around $848 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $833 in Ratnapura, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,176 per month in Polonnaruwa vs $1,149 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura are more affordable than the global median – Polonnaruwa 61% lower, Ratnapura 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 LKR 1,360

$2.23 LKR 748

81.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 LKR 8,271

$10.02 LKR 3,367

145.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 LKR 2,859

$6.80 LKR 2,284

25.15%

Cappuccino

$2.73 LKR 916

$2.35 LKR 791

16.17%

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

$0.69 LKR 233

$0.82 LKR 274

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 LKR 127

$0.52 LKR 174

-26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 LKR 807

$2.23 LKR 749

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 LKR 1,098

$3.09 LKR 1,038

5.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 LKR 599

$2.04 LKR 686

-12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 LKR 185

$0.81 LKR 271

-32.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 274

$0.67 LKR 226

20.90%

Eggs

$2.21 LKR 743

$1.19 LKR 401

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 LKR 4,686

$16.66 LKR 5,598

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 LKR 1,544

$7.14 LKR 2,400

-35.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 LKR 2,767

$17.18 LKR 5,773

-52.04%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 LKR 2,492

$4.66 LKR 1,564

59.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 362

$0.82 LKR 276

31.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 LKR 1,986

$4.65 LKR 1,563

27.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 404

$1.08 LKR 363

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 369

$1.17 LKR 392

-5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 LKR 475

$1.56 LKR 525

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 402

$0.56 LKR 189

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 LKR 204

$0.48 LKR 162

27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 LKR 3,338

$14.66 LKR 4,926

-32.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 LKR 4,283

$12.44 LKR 4,180

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 672

$2.32 LKR 779

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 LKR 961

$3.13 LKR 1,053

-8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 LKR 141

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 139

$0.38 LKR 129

7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 109

$0.53 LKR 178

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 LKR 202

$0.32 LKR 106

87.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 408

$1.06 LKR 357

14.15%

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

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

$21.7K LKR 7.3M

25.60%

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

$34.7K LKR 11.7M

$21.4K LKR 7.2M

62.10%

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

$60.5 LKR 20.3K

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

$4.43 LKR 1,489

$2.25 LKR 755

96.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.84 LKR 4,986

$8.23 LKR 2,767

80.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 LKR 3,355

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,101

$2.61 LKR 875

25.67%

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

$36.53 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$441 LKR 148.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.91 LKR 9,376

$11.53 LKR 3,873

142.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 LKR 6,454

$8.41 LKR 2,825

128.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 LKR 23.0K

$95.5 LKR 32.1K

-28.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.22 LKR 13.2K

$28.66 LKR 9,628

36.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$82.8 LKR 27.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.4 LKR 20.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$92.9 LKR 31.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 LKR 55.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

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

Last update for Polonnaruwa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Polonnaruwa versus $10.00 in Ratnapura. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Polonnaruwa vs $283 in Ratnapura – so Polonnaruwa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Polonnaruwa vs Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $779 per month in Polonnaruwa and $776 in Ratnapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Polonnaruwa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Polonnaruwa and $10.00 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 $519 in Polonnaruwa and $517 in Ratnapura, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ratnapura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ratnapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Polonnaruwa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.