Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $608 in Kalutara, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Kalutara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $608 in Kalutara.

Ratnapura $477
Kalutara $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $888 in Kalutara.

Ratnapura $765
Kalutara $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $1,168 in Kalutara.

Ratnapura $1,054
Kalutara $1,168

Living in Ratnapura costs roughly 22% less than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratnapura 65% lower, Kalutara 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.92 LKR 1,302

-50.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,065

$24.40 LKR 8,110

-62.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,013

$7.72 LKR 2,565

-21.50%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.47 LKR 822

-15.79%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.69 LKR 228

5.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.25 LKR 82.7

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.14 LKR 710

-9.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$2.99 LKR 993

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.56 LKR 520

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.53 LKR 175

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.81 LKR 269

-18.52%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.69 LKR 561

-36.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,896

$13.98 LKR 4,648

5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.93 LKR 1,637

29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,185

$7.47 LKR 2,484

108.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.52 LKR 2,166

-34.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.87 LKR 288

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,377

$4.44 LKR 1,475

-6.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.33 LKR 441

-29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.04 LKR 345

0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.83 LKR 276

68.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.89 LKR 295

-48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.45 LKR 150

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,273

$10.13 LKR 3,367

26.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,295

$12.77 LKR 4,244

1.17%

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

$2.99 LKR 993

-3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

$0.12 LKR 41.30

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.12 LKR 3,030

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 125

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.18 LKR 61.2

144.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.32 LKR 438

-24.24%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.1K LKR 14.7M

-55.19%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$40.0K LKR 13.3M

-50.85%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.20 LKR 1,396

-50.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,461

$20.29 LKR 6,745

-63.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,033

$9.14 LKR 3,039

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.48 LKR 1,488

-46.65%

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

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,220 LKR 405.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,483

$18.31 LKR 6,086

-42.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,560

$16.57 LKR 5,508

-53.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,606

$42.30 LKR 14.1K

-38.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

$85.6 LKR 28.4K

-36.22%

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 Kalutara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Kalutara

$237 38.9% 8.3% $22

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Kalutara

$105 17.2% 33.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Kalutara

$70 11.5% 20.7% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Kalutara

$86 14.1% 56.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Kalutara

$18 3% 30.1% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Kalutara

$83 13.6% 775% $73

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 176% $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 $24 in Kalutara. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $237, with Kalutara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

39,600

💱 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 Kalutara 50 km

From you

Ratnapura
Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Kalutara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ratnapura the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $715 in Ratnapura and $913 in Kalutara 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.

All in, you’ll spend $477 per month in Ratnapura versus $608 in Kalutara – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Kalutara pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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