Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Horana

For one person, living costs are similar in Ratnapura and in Horana: $477 and $456 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Horana
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Horana Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Horana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Horana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $456 in Horana.

Ratnapura $477
Horana $456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $735 in Horana.

Ratnapura $765
Horana $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $1,014 in Horana.

Ratnapura $1,054
Horana $1,014

Living in Ratnapura is roughly 5% more expensive than in Horana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratnapura 65% lower, Horana 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$1.84 LKR 611

5.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$24.86 LKR 8,265

-62.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.47 LKR 2,484

-18.88%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.52 LKR 838

-17.46%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.59 LKR 195

23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.22 LKR 73.3

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.25 LKR 747

-14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.07 LKR 1,021

-9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.55 LKR 516

18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.43 LKR 143

83.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.61 LKR 204

8.20%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.69 LKR 562

-36.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.86 LKR 4,608

6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$3.99 LKR 1,327

60.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.44 LKR 2,472

109.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$2.37 LKR 787

79.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.34 LKR 115

120.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.26 LKR 1,418

-2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.34 LKR 445

-29.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$0.65 LKR 216

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.69 LKR 230

102.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.95 LKR 316

-51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.46 LKR 153

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.20 LKR 3,389

26.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.91 LKR 4,292

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.88 LKR 625

11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$3.03 LKR 1,008

-4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 125

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.37 LKR 124

18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 313

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.32 LKR 437

-24.24%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$43.2K LKR 14.3M

-54.22%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

-50.73%

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

$58.2 LKR 19.4K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$3.02 LKR 1,004

-31.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.80 LKR 6,914

-64.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.55 LKR 1,511

-47.47%

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

$38.12 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 395.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$17.79 LKR 5,915

-41.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.33 LKR 5,430

-52.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$79.7 LKR 26.5K

5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

-37.91%

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 Horana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Horana

$205 44.9% 20.8% $54

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Horana

$88 19.3% 12% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Horana

$70 15.4% 21.1% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Horana

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Horana

$9.1 * 2% 34.7% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Horana

$82 18% 766% $73

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Horana

$2.2 * 0.5% 43.3% $1.7

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $9 in Ratnapura vs $25 in Horana. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $205, with Horana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Horana

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

15,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Ratnapura Horana 38 km

From you

Ratnapura
Horana

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 Horana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horana is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $715 in Ratnapura and $684 in Horana 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Ratnapura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratnapura – a meal for two runs $9 versus $25 in Horana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Horana 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.