Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Dambulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $505 in Dambulla, rent and utilities included – about $340 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 Dambulla
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Dambulla Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Dambulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Dambulla

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $505 in Dambulla, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Dambulla $505

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ratnapura vs $818 in Dambulla, rent included.

Ratnapura $765
Dambulla $818

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,131 in Dambulla, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Dambulla $1,131

Ratnapura is about 6% cheaper than Dambulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratnapura and Dambulla are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 65% lower, Dambulla 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.85 LKR 1,281

-49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$25.00 LKR 8,311

-63.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.66 LKR 2,546

-20.89%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.47 LKR 821

-15.79%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.67 LKR 224

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.27 LKR 89.9

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.27 LKR 753

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$2.93 LKR 975

-5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.63 LKR 543

12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.56 LKR 188

41.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.77 LKR 254

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.63 LKR 542

-34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.55 LKR 4,504

8.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.92 LKR 1,635

29.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.30 LKR 2,428

113.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.47 LKR 2,152

-34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.87 LKR 289

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.33 LKR 1,441

-4.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.32 LKR 440

-28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.01 LKR 336

3.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.79 LKR 262

77.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.87 LKR 289

-47.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.43 LKR 142

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.35 LKR 3,440

24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.67 LKR 4,214

1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.89 LKR 627

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.93 LKR 974

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

$0.07 LKR 23.76

385.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 126

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.38 LKR 125

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.37 LKR 456

-27.01%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

-54.83%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-52.04%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.9K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.30 LKR 1,431

-51.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.98 LKR 6,976

-64.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.57 LKR 1,520

-47.70%

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

$37.27 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,199 LKR 398.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.35 LKR 6,102

-42.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.43 LKR 5,462

-53.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$78.1 LKR 26.0K

7.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

-36.90%

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 Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Dambulla

$234 46.4% 9.4% $24

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Dambulla

$104 20.7% 32.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Dambulla

$69 13.7% 19.9% $11

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Dambulla

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Dambulla

$9.2 * 1.8% 34.2% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Dambulla

$85 16.9% 798% $76

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Dambulla

$2.5 * 0.5% 35.7% $1.4

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 Dambulla. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $234 in Dambulla – so Dambulla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Dambulla

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

68,800

💱 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 Dambulla 140 km

From you

Ratnapura
Dambulla

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 Dambulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $477 in Ratnapura, $505 in Dambulla – Ratnapura comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $715 per month in Ratnapura and $757 in Dambulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Ratnapura and $25 in Dambulla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $477 in Ratnapura and $505 in Dambulla. That makes Ratnapura about 6% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $477 in Ratnapura and $505 in Dambulla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.