Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Beruwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $503 in Beruwala, rent and utilities included – about $310 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 Beruwala
Learn more

Beruwala Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Beruwala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Beruwala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $503 in Beruwala.

Ratnapura $477
Beruwala $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $816 in Beruwala.

Ratnapura $765
Beruwala $816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $1,129 in Beruwala.

Ratnapura $1,054
Beruwala $1,129

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.79 LKR 1,258

-48.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$25.24 LKR 8,393

-63.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.46 LKR 2,480

-18.77%

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 222

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.25 LKR 82.9

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.15 LKR 715

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.10 LKR 1,031

-10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.56 LKR 518

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.54 LKR 179

46.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.81 LKR 269

-18.52%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.69 LKR 563

-36.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.54 LKR 4,502

8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.89 LKR 1,627

30.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.34 LKR 2,442

112.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.50 LKR 2,161

-34.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.85 LKR 283

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.26 LKR 1,417

-2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.33 LKR 441

-29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.05 LKR 348

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.82 LKR 273

70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.90 LKR 298

-48.89%

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

$10.45 LKR 3,476

23.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.75 LKR 4,239

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.97 LKR 653

6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$3.06 LKR 1,017

-5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 115

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.38 LKR 459

-27.54%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-55.07%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

-51.19%

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

$58.5 LKR 19.4K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.32 LKR 1,436

-52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$21.10 LKR 7,016

-64.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.60 LKR 1,529

-48.04%

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

$38.09 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,195 LKR 397.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.21 LKR 6,052

-42.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.39 LKR 5,449

-53.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$42.53 LKR 14.1K

-39.13%

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

$152 LKR 50.7K

9.17%

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 Beruwala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Beruwala

$235 46.7% 9.1% $24

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Beruwala

$103 20.5% 31.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Beruwala

$70 13.9% 20.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Beruwala

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Beruwala

$9.2 * 1.8% 33.9% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Beruwala

$84 16.7% 786% $74

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Beruwala

$2.1 * 0.4% 46.8% $1.9

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

Cost Breakdown

Ratnapura pays 9% 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 Beruwala. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $235, with Beruwala cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Beruwala

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

35,300

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ratnapura Beruwala 52 km

From you

Ratnapura
Beruwala

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 Beruwala: 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.

Average pay runs 9% 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 Beruwala pay roughly 9% 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 Beruwala. 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.

Safety-wise, Ratnapura and Beruwala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.