Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Kandana

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $506 in Kandana, rent and utilities included – about $350 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 Kandana
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Kandana Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Kandana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Kandana

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $506 in Kandana, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Kandana $506

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ratnapura vs $822 in Kandana, rent included.

Ratnapura $765
Kandana $822

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,138 in Kandana, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Kandana $1,138

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.86 LKR 1,282

-49.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,065

$25.24 LKR 8,389

-63.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,013

$7.50 LKR 2,492

-19.20%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.44 LKR 811

-14.75%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.72 LKR 241

1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.27 LKR 90.3

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.19 LKR 727

-11.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.00 LKR 997

-7.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.62 LKR 538

13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.53 LKR 175

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.80 LKR 267

-17.50%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.73 LKR 573

-38.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,896

$13.95 LKR 4,637

5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.79 LKR 1,593

33.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,185

$7.63 LKR 2,537

104.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.75 LKR 2,244

-36.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.86 LKR 285

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,377

$4.30 LKR 1,428

-3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.27 LKR 422

-25.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.00 LKR 332

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.78 LKR 258

79.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.87 LKR 291

-47.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.42 LKR 140

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,273

$10.07 LKR 3,346

27.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,295

$12.93 LKR 4,298

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.88 LKR 626

11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$3.00 LKR 996

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.37 LKR 123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 299

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.34 LKR 444

-25.37%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$43.1K LKR 14.3M

-54.11%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

-51.27%

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

$59.4 LKR 19.7K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.31 LKR 1,432

-51.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,461

$20.63 LKR 6,855

-64.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,033

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.61 LKR 1,533

-48.16%

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

$37.66 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,186 LKR 394.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,483

$18.48 LKR 6,141

-43.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,560

$16.41 LKR 5,455

-53.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$78.6 LKR 26.1K

7.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,606

$41.96 LKR 13.9K

-38.30%

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 Kandana: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Kandana

$237 46.8% 8.2% $21

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Kandana

$104 20.5% 31.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Kandana

$70 13.8% 21.1% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Kandana

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Kandana

$9.2 * 1.8% 33.6% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Kandana

$84 16.7% 791% $75

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Kandana

$2.1 * 0.4% 46.3% $1.8

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 Kandana. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $237 in Kandana – so Kandana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Kandana

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ratnapura Kandana 69 km

From you

Ratnapura
Kandana

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 Kandana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kandana is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $715 per month in Ratnapura and $759 in Kandana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Kandana – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

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

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $477 in Ratnapura and $506 in Kandana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kandana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ratnapura to $506 in Kandana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.