Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $478 a month against $509 in Hikkaduwa, rent and utilities included – about $370 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
Learn more

Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$478

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Ratnapura versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Ratnapura $478
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $768 in Ratnapura versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Ratnapura $768
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,058 in Ratnapura versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Ratnapura $1,058
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Ratnapura costs roughly 6% less than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratnapura 65% lower, Hikkaduwa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 LKR 633

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-57.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.12 LKR 3,020

$24.59 LKR 8,146

-62.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 LKR 1,994

$7.57 LKR 2,508

-20.48%

Cappuccino

$2.09 LKR 693

$2.50 LKR 828

-16.40%

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

$0.78 LKR 258

$0.72 LKR 238

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.27 LKR 90.1

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 LKR 635

$2.16 LKR 716

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 LKR 884

$3.01 LKR 998

-11.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 610

$1.57 LKR 520

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.53 LKR 175

45.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 LKR 207

$0.80 LKR 266

-21.25%

Eggs

$1.12 LKR 370

$1.60 LKR 530

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.95 LKR 4,950

$14.00 LKR 4,637

6.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 LKR 2,158

$4.88 LKR 1,618

33.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 LKR 5,271

$7.26 LKR 2,406

119.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,412

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-37.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 LKR 230

$0.85 LKR 281

-17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 LKR 1,398

$4.46 LKR 1,479

-5.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 334

$1.23 LKR 406

-17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 335

$1.02 LKR 339

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 LKR 447

$0.82 LKR 270

64.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.92 LKR 306

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 LKR 4,396

$10.32 LKR 3,419

28.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 LKR 4,147

$13.70 LKR 4,537

-8.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 LKR 671

$1.89 LKR 625

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 LKR 937

$3.01 LKR 998

-5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.38 LKR 126

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 LKR 155

$0.37 LKR 123

27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 LKR 322

$1.33 LKR 441

-27.07%

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

$19.5K LKR 6.5M

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-48.39%

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

$19.7K LKR 6.5M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-51.75%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

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

$2.06 LKR 683

$4.14 LKR 1,371

-50.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.10 LKR 2,352

$21.01 LKR 6,960

-66.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.91 LKR 2,952

Cinema Ticket

$2.35 LKR 778

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-47.19%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.54 LKR 3,491

$18.35 LKR 6,078

-42.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.37 LKR 2,443

$16.80 LKR 5,565

-56.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 LKR 28.6K

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.10 LKR 8,645

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

-39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$77.1 LKR 25.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.0 LKR 18.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.8 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 LKR 57.1K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$259 54.2%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 8% $21

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$78 16.4%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 39.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$59 12.3%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 19.4% $11

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.8%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 34.6% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.2 * 1.9%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 773% $71

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 45.4% $1.9

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $9.00 in Ratnapura vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $239, with Hikkaduwa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

101,342

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ratnapura Hikkaduwa 69 km

From you

Ratnapura
Hikkaduwa

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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $717 in Ratnapura and $763 in Hikkaduwa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Hikkaduwa 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 $9.00 versus $25.00 in Hikkaduwa. 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 Hikkaduwa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ratnapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Hikkaduwa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.