Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $502 in Amparai, rent and utilities included – about $300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
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Amparai Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Amparai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ratnapura and in Amparai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $502 in Amparai.

Ratnapura $477
Amparai $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $814 in Amparai.

Ratnapura $765
Amparai $814

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

Ratnapura $1,054
Amparai $1,126

Living in Ratnapura costs roughly 5% less than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.79 LKR 1,261

-48.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$24.61 LKR 8,183

-62.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.42 LKR 2,467

-18.33%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.48 LKR 824

-16.13%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.67 LKR 221

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.27 LKR 90.4

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.25 LKR 749

-14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$2.94 LKR 978

-5.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.64 LKR 544

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.53 LKR 176

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.81 LKR 269

-18.52%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.72 LKR 573

-37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.94 LKR 4,636

5.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$5.01 LKR 1,666

27.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.61 LKR 2,529

104.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.65 LKR 2,210

-35.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.86 LKR 287

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.30 LKR 1,429

-3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.27 LKR 422

-25.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.83 LKR 276

68.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.94 LKR 314

-51.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.42 LKR 139

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.34 LKR 3,439

24.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.93 LKR 4,298

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.96 LKR 653

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.93 LKR 973

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.37 LKR 125

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.37 LKR 124

18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.34 LKR 447

-25.37%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.5K LKR 14.8M

-55.56%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

-52.29%

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

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.23 LKR 1,407

-51.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.72 LKR 6,887

-64.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$1.84 LKR 610

29.89%

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

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 LKR 407.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.05 LKR 6,002

-41.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.88 LKR 5,611

-54.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$42.12 LKR 14.0K

-38.53%

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

$91.8 LKR 30.5K

81.16%

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 Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Last update for Amparai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Amparai

$239 47.5% 7.6% $20

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Amparai

$103 20.6% 31.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Amparai

$70 13.9% 20.4% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Amparai

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Amparai

$3.7 * 0.7% 73.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Amparai

$85 16.9% 794% $75

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Amparai

$2.2 * 0.5% 43.3% $1.7

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

Cost Breakdown

Ratnapura pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $9 in Ratnapura vs $25 in Amparai. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $239, with Amparai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Amparai

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

110,000

💱 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

Ratnapura Amparai 160 km

From you

Ratnapura
Amparai

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

Ratnapura vs Amparai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 81% higher in Ratnapura, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Amparai pay roughly 8% 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 Amparai. 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.

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.