Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Kandy

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $513 in Kandy, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kandy outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
Learn more

Kandy Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Kandy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $513 in Kandy.

Ratnapura $477
Kandy $513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $728 in Kandy.

Ratnapura $765
Kandy $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $943 in Kandy.

Ratnapura $1,054
Kandy $943

Living in Ratnapura costs roughly 7% less than in Kandy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$2.66 LKR 885

-26.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$13.01 LKR 4,324

-29.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$6.00 LKR 1,996

1.00%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$1.90 LKR 632

9.47%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.52 LKR 174

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.26 LKR 87.1

69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.86 LKR 620

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$2.80 LKR 931

-1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.15 LKR 382

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.52 LKR 174

51.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.77 LKR 255

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.71 LKR 568

-37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$5.14 LKR 1,708

186.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.25 LKR 1,412

50.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$6.87 LKR 2,285

127.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$3.14 LKR 1,043

35.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.84 LKR 280

-10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$1.73 LKR 574

139.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.29 LKR 429

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.02 LKR 339

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.83 LKR 277

68.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.43 LKR 144

6.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.42 LKR 140

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$8.02 LKR 2,668

60.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$11.28 LKR 3,751

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.93 LKR 643

8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.08 LKR 691

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

$0.16 LKR 53.3

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.41 LKR 136

-9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.15 LKR 383

-13.04%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

41.38%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

-46.52%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$3.86 LKR 1,282

-46.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$12.72 LKR 4,227

-41.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

$10.85 LKR 3,606

-15.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$2.74 LKR 909

-12.77%

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

$21.65 LKR 7,199

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.28 LKR 6,078

-42.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$10.15 LKR 3,375

-24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

24.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$26.56 LKR 8,831

-2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

$172 LKR 57.2K

-55.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

$113 LKR 37.5K

-51.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

-9.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 LKR 55.3K

$262 LKR 86.9K

-36.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Kandy

$166 32.3% 35.8% $92

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Kandy

$80 15.6% 2.1% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Kandy

$55 10.8% 4.4% $2.6

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Kandy

$113 22% 107% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Kandy

$16 3.2% 17.3% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Kandy

$76 14.7% 698% $66

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Kandy

$7.2 1.4% 81.5% $3.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76 in Ratnapura and $172 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kandy pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $9 in Ratnapura vs $13 in Kandy. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $166, with Kandy cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Kandy

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

125,000

💱 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 Kandy 73 km

From you

Ratnapura
Kandy

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 Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Ratnapura. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $76 in Ratnapura versus $172 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kandy pay roughly 36% 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 versus $13 in Kandy. 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 Kandy are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ratnapura wins on affordability, Kandy on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.