Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Bandarawela Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Bandarawela

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $517 per month in Ratnapura vs $593 in Bandarawela, rent included.

A couple spends around $833 per month in Ratnapura vs $923 in Bandarawela, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,149 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,254 in Bandarawela, rent included.

Ratnapura is about 13% cheaper than Bandarawela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Ratnapura and Bandarawela are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 61% lower, Bandarawela 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 LKR 748

$4.07 LKR 1,367

-45.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.02 LKR 3,367

$24.85 LKR 8,351

-59.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 LKR 2,285

$8.41 LKR 2,825

-19.14%

Cappuccino

$2.35 LKR 791

$2.66 LKR 895

-11.65%

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

$0.82 LKR 274

$0.72 LKR 243

13.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.37 LKR 125

40.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 749

$2.31 LKR 777

-3.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 LKR 1,039

$3.36 LKR 1,129

-8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 LKR 686

$1.71 LKR 576

19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 LKR 271

$0.51 LKR 173

58.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 LKR 226

$0.87 LKR 294

-22.99%

Eggs

$1.19 LKR 401

$2.23 LKR 750

-46.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.66 LKR 5,599

$13.84 LKR 4,652

20.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 LKR 2,401

$4.76 LKR 1,598

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 LKR 5,774

$7.91 LKR 2,659

117.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 LKR 1,564

$7.36 LKR 2,472

-36.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 276

$1.07 LKR 358

-23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 LKR 1,564

$5.66 LKR 1,902

-17.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 363

$1.26 LKR 422

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 LKR 392

$1.10 LKR 369

6.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 LKR 525

$1.37 LKR 460

13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 LKR 189

$1.20 LKR 403

-53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 LKR 162

$0.60 LKR 201

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 LKR 4,927

$9.99 LKR 3,356

46.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 LKR 4,181

$12.60 LKR 4,235

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 LKR 779

$2.02 LKR 678

14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 LKR 1,053

$2.83 LKR 950

10.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 LKR 141

$0.17 LKR 56.3

147.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.63 LKR 549

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 129

$0.38 LKR 128

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 LKR 178

$0.33 LKR 111

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 LKR 106

$0.48 LKR 161

-33.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 LKR 357

$1.02 LKR 343

3.92%

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

$21.7K LKR 7.3M

$26.9K LKR 9.0M

-19.38%

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

$21.4K LKR 7.2M

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-37.61%

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

$61.2 LKR 20.6K

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

$2.25 LKR 755

$4.44 LKR 1,493

-49.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.23 LKR 2,767

$15.18 LKR 5,101

-45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 LKR 3,356

$5.06 LKR 1,700

97.43%

Cinema Ticket

$2.61 LKR 876

$3.30 LKR 1,109

-20.91%

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

$36.37 LKR 12.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$445 LKR 149.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.53 LKR 3,874

$27.67 LKR 9,298

-58.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.41 LKR 2,825

$19.65 LKR 6,604

-57.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 LKR 32.1K

$70.4 LKR 23.7K

35.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.66 LKR 9,630

$38.25 LKR 12.9K

-25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$82.8 LKR 27.8K

$100 LKR 33.7K

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.4 LKR 20.6K

$50.8 LKR 17.1K

20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 LKR 44.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$92.9 LKR 31.2K

$66.1 LKR 22.2K

40.49%

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 Ratnapura: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bandarawela: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $82.8 in Ratnapura versus $100 in Bandarawela. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Ratnapura versus $25.00 in Bandarawela. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Ratnapura vs $255 in Bandarawela – so Bandarawela 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

Ratnapura vs Bandarawela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $517 in Ratnapura, $593 in Bandarawela – roughly 15% apart. Bandarawela costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $776 per month in Ratnapura and $889 in Bandarawela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ratnapura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Ratnapura and $25.00 in Bandarawela. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $517 in Ratnapura and $593 in Bandarawela. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $517 in Ratnapura and $593 in Bandarawela, 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, Bandarawela makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.