Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Matara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $576 in Matara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Matara

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $576 in Matara, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Matara $576

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ratnapura vs $839 in Matara, rent included.

Ratnapura $765
Matara $839

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,102 in Matara, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Matara $1,102

Ratnapura is about 17% cheaper than Matara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratnapura and Matara are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 65% lower, Matara 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.73 LKR 1,241

-47.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$24.54 LKR 8,159

-62.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.53 LKR 2,503

-19.52%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.44 LKR 810

-14.75%

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 83.1

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.23 LKR 741

-13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.06 LKR 1,017

-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 177

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.76 LKR 253

-13.16%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.53 LKR 509

-30.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.58 LKR 4,514

8.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.84 LKR 1,609

32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.26 LKR 2,415

114.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.71 LKR 2,230

-36.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.43 LKR 142

74.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.46 LKR 1,481

-7.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$0.91 LKR 302

3.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$0.92 LKR 306

14.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.58 LKR 193

141.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.89 LKR 295

-48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.46 LKR 151

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$9.85 LKR 3,276

30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.94 LKR 4,303

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.79 LKR 596

16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$3.00 LKR 997

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

$0.31 LKR 104

9.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.40 LKR 133

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 115

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 317

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.38 LKR 458

-27.54%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

-55.34%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

-52.47%

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

$46.17 LKR 15.4K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.22 LKR 1,403

-50.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.99 LKR 6,977

-64.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.60 LKR 1,530

-48.04%

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

$38.17 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.04 LKR 5,997

-41.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.90 LKR 5,618

-54.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

-37.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

$179 LKR 59.6K

-57.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.6 LKR 18.1K

$90.1 LKR 30.0K

-39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 LKR 55.3K

$105 LKR 34.8K

59.01%

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 Matara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Matara

$229 39.8% 11.3% $29

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Matara

$103 17.8% 30.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Matara

$70 12.2% 21.2% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Matara

$90 15.7% 65.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Matara

$9.2 * 1.6% 33.8% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Matara

$71 12.4% 654% $62

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6% 14.2% $0.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $76 in Ratnapura versus $179 in Matara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 59% higher in Ratnapura, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Ratnapura versus $25 in Matara. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $229 in Matara – so Matara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Matara

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

100,000

💱 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 Matara 83 km

From you

Ratnapura
Matara

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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Matara is pricier by about 21%, 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 $864 in Matara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ratnapura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $76 there versus $179 in Matara.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Matara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Ratnapura and $25 in Matara. 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 $576 in Matara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Matara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ratnapura to $576 in Matara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.