Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $508 in Kataragama, 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
Learn more

Kataragama Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Kataragama

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Kataragama $508

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

Ratnapura $765
Kataragama $822

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,137 in Kataragama, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Kataragama $1,137

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.90 LKR 1,296

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$24.62 LKR 8,184

-62.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.73 LKR 2,569

-21.60%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.56 LKR 852

-18.75%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.67 LKR 222

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.25 LKR 82.5

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.17 LKR 721

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.00 LKR 997

-7.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.64 LKR 544

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.53 LKR 175

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.75 LKR 249

-12.00%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.71 LKR 569

-37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.75 LKR 4,572

7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.94 LKR 1,642

29.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.46 LKR 2,480

109.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.67 LKR 2,218

-36.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.86 LKR 287

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.27 LKR 1,419

-3.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.32 LKR 438

-28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.00 LKR 332

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.82 LKR 272

70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.94 LKR 314

-51.06%

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

$10.35 LKR 3,441

24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$13.09 LKR 4,351

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.98 LKR 658

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$3.05 LKR 1,015

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.37 LKR 123

18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.39 LKR 462

-28.06%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

-55.53%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-52.03%

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

$58.6 LKR 19.5K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.16 LKR 1,384

-50.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.92 LKR 6,956

-64.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.51 LKR 1,499

-47.01%

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

$37.64 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,206 LKR 400.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$17.76 LKR 5,904

-40.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.55 LKR 5,504

-53.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$78.5 LKR 26.1K

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.44 LKR 13.8K

-37.52%

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 Kataragama: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Kataragama

$238 46.8% 8% $21

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Kataragama

$106 20.8% 34.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Kataragama

$69 13.7% 20.2% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Kataragama

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8% 35.2% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Kataragama

$84 16.5% 784% $74

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Kataragama

$2.2 * 0.4% 43.5% $1.7

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 Kataragama. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $238 in Kataragama – so Kataragama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

20,000

💱 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 Kataragama 110 km

From you

Ratnapura
Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kataragama costs about 7% more than Ratnapura, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $715 per month in Ratnapura and $761 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $477 in Ratnapura and $508 in Kataragama. That makes Ratnapura about 6% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Kataragama – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $477 in Ratnapura and $508 in Kataragama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.