Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $396 a month against $477 in Ratnapura, rent and utilities included – about $970 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
Learn more

Negombo Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Negombo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $396 in Negombo.

Ratnapura $477
Negombo $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $639 in Negombo.

Ratnapura $765
Negombo $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $883 in Negombo.

Ratnapura $1,054
Negombo $883

Living in Ratnapura is roughly 20% more expensive than in Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratnapura 65% lower, Negombo 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.74 LKR 1,245

-47.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,067

$16.39 LKR 5,451

-43.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.40 LKR 2,462

-18.11%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$1.28 LKR 427

62.50%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.73 LKR 242

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.27 LKR 90.0

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.21 LKR 736

-12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.04 LKR 1,012

-8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.56 LKR 520

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.56 LKR 187

41.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.75 LKR 251

-12.00%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.63 LKR 543

-34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,899

$13.51 LKR 4,494

9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,126

$4.34 LKR 1,442

47.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,188

$6.09 LKR 2,026

156.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,418

$1.78 LKR 590

139.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.67 LKR 224

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$2.30 LKR 766

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.16 LKR 385

-18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$0.79 LKR 264

32.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 466

$0.83 LKR 277

68.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.95 LKR 316

-51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.46 LKR 152

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,275

$10.19 LKR 3,390

26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,297

$13.06 LKR 4,343

-1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 694

$1.95 LKR 650

7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.92 LKR 972

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

$0.31 LKR 104

9.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 125

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 115

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 298

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 332

$1.02 LKR 339

-1.96%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$43.3K LKR 14.4M

-54.38%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

-50.70%

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

$25.79 LKR 8,576

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

$2.07 LKR 688

$4.22 LKR 1,403

-50.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,463

$20.43 LKR 6,795

-63.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,035

$15.34 LKR 5,100

-40.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.00 LKR 2,994

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 795

$2.46 LKR 817

-2.85%

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

$37.18 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$458 LKR 152.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,485

$9.13 LKR 3,037

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.32 LKR 5,427

-52.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$35.70 LKR 11.9K

136.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,611

$24.49 LKR 8,143

5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.6 LKR 18.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.6 LKR 28.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 LKR 55.3K

$178 LKR 59.1K

-6.46%

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 Negombo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Negombo

$194 49.1% 24.8% $64

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Negombo

$89 22.4% 12.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Negombo

$39 9.7% 33.3% $19

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Negombo

$20 5.1% 45.6% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Negombo

$50 12.8% 433% $41

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.9% 15.2% $0.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Negombo pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $9 in Ratnapura vs $16 in Negombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $194, with Negombo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

142,449

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ratnapura Negombo 86 km

From you

Ratnapura
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ratnapura. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Negombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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.

All in, you’ll spend $477 per month in Ratnapura versus $396 in Negombo – Negombo is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ratnapura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Negombo 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 Negombo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.