Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya

For one person, living costs are similar in Ratnapura and in Nuwara Eliya: $477 and $500 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Nuwara Eliya
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Nuwara Eliya Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Nuwara Eliya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $500 in Nuwara Eliya.

Ratnapura $477
Nuwara Eliya $500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $813 in Nuwara Eliya.

Ratnapura $765
Nuwara Eliya $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $1,126 in Nuwara Eliya.

Ratnapura $1,054
Nuwara Eliya $1,126

Living in Ratnapura costs roughly 5% less than in Nuwara Eliya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratnapura 65% lower, Nuwara Eliya 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.79 LKR 1,259

-48.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$25.40 LKR 8,445

-63.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.51 LKR 2,497

-19.31%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.55 LKR 846

-18.43%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.36 LKR 121

102.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.27 LKR 90.2

62.96%

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

$1.63 LKR 543

12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.57 LKR 190

38.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.74 LKR 248

-10.81%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.64 LKR 546

-34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$13.62 LKR 4,526

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.74 LKR 1,575

34.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.34 LKR 2,439

112.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.47 LKR 2,152

-34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.80 LKR 268

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.31 LKR 1,431

-3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.26 LKR 420

-25.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.01 LKR 335

3.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.77 LKR 256

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.88 LKR 292

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.45 LKR 151

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.26 LKR 3,410

25.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.83 LKR 4,264

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.90 LKR 630

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.94 LKR 977

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

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 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

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

$43.8K LKR 14.6M

-54.87%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$39.8K LKR 13.2M

-50.67%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.32 LKR 1,435

-52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.36 LKR 6,770

-63.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.55 LKR 1,514

-47.47%

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

$38.33 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,215 LKR 403.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$17.89 LKR 5,947

-41.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.67 LKR 5,541

-53.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$41.52 LKR 13.8K

-37.64%

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 Nuwara Eliya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Nuwara Eliya

$233 46.7% 9.6% $25

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Nuwara Eliya

$103 20.6% 30.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Nuwara Eliya

$70 14% 20.7% $12

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Nuwara Eliya

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Nuwara Eliya

$9.1 * 1.8% 34.5% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Nuwara Eliya

$82 16.5% 770% $73

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Nuwara Eliya

$2.1 * 0.4% 46.3% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $9 in Ratnapura vs $25 in Nuwara Eliya. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $233, with Nuwara Eliya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

27,500

💱 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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Ratnapura Nuwara Eliya 52 km

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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 Nuwara Eliya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $715 in Ratnapura and $749 in Nuwara Eliya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Nuwara Eliya pay roughly 10% 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 $25 in Nuwara Eliya. 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.

Safety-wise, Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.