Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Battaramulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $532 in Battaramulla, rent and utilities included – about $660 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Battaramulla
Learn more

Battaramulla Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Battaramulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Battaramulla

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 Battaramulla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $532 in Battaramulla, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Battaramulla $532

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ratnapura vs $862 in Battaramulla, rent included.

Ratnapura $765
Battaramulla $862

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,192 in Battaramulla, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Battaramulla $1,192

Ratnapura is about 10% cheaper than Battaramulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratnapura and Battaramulla are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 65% lower, Battaramulla 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.89 LKR 1,292

-49.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$24.80 LKR 8,246

-62.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.59 LKR 2,524

-20.16%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.49 LKR 827

-16.47%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.67 LKR 222

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.27 LKR 90.0

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.14 LKR 711

-9.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.00 LKR 997

-7.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.57 LKR 521

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.52 LKR 174

51.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.77 LKR 254

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.63 LKR 543

-34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.59 LKR 4,517

8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.84 LKR 1,608

32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.50 LKR 2,493

108.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.39 LKR 2,123

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.81 LKR 268

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.48 LKR 1,489

-7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.26 LKR 419

-25.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.03 LKR 343

1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.82 LKR 271

70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.88 LKR 292

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.45 LKR 151

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.26 LKR 3,410

25.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.99 LKR 4,318

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.88 LKR 624

11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.96 LKR 984

-2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.41 LKR 136

-9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.32 LKR 440

-24.24%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-55.12%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-51.06%

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

$57.5 LKR 19.1K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.13 LKR 1,373

-49.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.94 LKR 6,961

-64.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

$30.05 LKR 9,989

-69.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.11 LKR 2,032

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.62 LKR 1,538

-48.27%

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

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,180 LKR 392.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.25 LKR 6,066

-42.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.70 LKR 5,552

-53.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$78.3 LKR 26.0K

7.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.32 LKR 13.7K

-37.34%

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 Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Last update for Battaramulla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Battaramulla

$234 44% 9.5% $24

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Battaramulla

$104 19.6% 32.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Battaramulla

$70 13.1% 20.4% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Battaramulla

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Battaramulla

$39 7.4% 183% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Battaramulla

$83 15.5% 772% $73

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Battaramulla

$2.2 * 0.4% 45.6% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Ratnapura versus $25 in Battaramulla. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $234 in Battaramulla – so Battaramulla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Battaramulla

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

20,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ratnapura Battaramulla 59 km

From you

Ratnapura
Battaramulla

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 Battaramulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Battaramulla costs about 12% more than Ratnapura, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $715 per month in Ratnapura and $797 in Battaramulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $477 in Ratnapura and $532 in Battaramulla. That’s a gap of about 12%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Battaramulla – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $477 in Ratnapura and $532 in Battaramulla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Battaramulla has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ratnapura to $532 in Battaramulla. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.