Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Kolonnawa

For one person, living costs are similar in Ratnapura and in Kolonnawa: $477 and $488 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
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Kolonnawa Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Kolonnawa

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $488 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Kolonnawa $488

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ratnapura vs $794 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Ratnapura $765
Kolonnawa $794

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,100 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Kolonnawa $1,100

Ratnapura is about 2% cheaper than Kolonnawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratnapura and Kolonnawa are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 65% lower, Kolonnawa 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.87 LKR 1,285

-49.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$25.33 LKR 8,422

-63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.38 LKR 2,453

-17.89%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.45 LKR 816

-15.10%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.71 LKR 236

2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.25 LKR 82.6

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.16 LKR 718

-10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.06 LKR 1,018

-9.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.56 LKR 519

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.53 LKR 178

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.58 LKR 192

13.79%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.66 LKR 551

-35.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$10.53 LKR 3,502

39.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.63 LKR 1,539

38.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.32 LKR 2,433

113.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.75 LKR 2,243

-36.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.85 LKR 281

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.43 LKR 1,472

-6.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.32 LKR 439

-28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.04 LKR 347

0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.77 LKR 255

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.93 LKR 308

-50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.43 LKR 142

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.34 LKR 3,436

24.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$10.50 LKR 3,489

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.77 LKR 588

18.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.22 LKR 738

29.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

$0.16 LKR 53.2

112.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.40 LKR 134

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.33 LKR 442

-24.81%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

-54.95%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

-52.21%

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

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.20 LKR 1,397

-50.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.66 LKR 6,870

-64.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.65 LKR 1,546

-48.60%

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

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 394.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.07 LKR 6,007

-42.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.73 LKR 5,562

-53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

-37.90%

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 Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6% 15.8% $41

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2% 31.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5% 22% $13

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Kolonnawa

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9% 33.1% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3% 792% $75

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6% 29.4% $1.2

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 Kolonnawa. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $217 in Kolonnawa – so Kolonnawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

64,800

💱 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 Kolonnawa 63 km

From you

Ratnapura
Kolonnawa

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 Kolonnawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolonnawa costs about 2% 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 $732 in Kolonnawa. 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 $488 in Kolonnawa. That’s a gap of about 2%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Kolonnawa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $477 in Ratnapura and $488 in Kolonnawa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kolonnawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ratnapura to $488 in Kolonnawa. 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.