Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Ragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $502 in Ragama, rent and utilities included – about $300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Ragama
Learn more

Ragama Living Index

Jump to prices

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Ragama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Ratnapura versus $502 in Ragama.

Ratnapura $477
Ragama $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Ratnapura versus $816 in Ragama.

Ratnapura $765
Ragama $816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,054 in Ratnapura versus $1,129 in Ragama.

Ratnapura $1,054
Ragama $1,129

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.89 LKR 1,294

-49.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$25.24 LKR 8,390

-63.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.42 LKR 2,467

-18.33%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.45 LKR 815

-15.10%

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

$0.73 LKR 244

$0.73 LKR 243

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

$2.26 LKR 750

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$3.01 LKR 1,000

-7.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.43 LKR 474

28.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.50 LKR 165

58.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.68 LKR 227

-2.94%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.66 LKR 551

-35.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$14.02 LKR 4,660

5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.82 LKR 1,603

32.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.40 LKR 2,460

110.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.56 LKR 2,180

-35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.81 LKR 270

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.32 LKR 1,435

-4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.32 LKR 437

-28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.04 LKR 345

0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.77 LKR 255

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.92 LKR 306

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.45 LKR 150

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.17 LKR 3,380

26.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$12.95 LKR 4,304

-0.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.91 LKR 636

9.42%

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

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.38 LKR 126

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 115

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.34 LKR 444

-25.37%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-55.14%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$39.9K LKR 13.3M

-50.80%

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

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.24 LKR 1,409

-51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.84 LKR 6,927

-64.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.42 LKR 1,471

-45.93%

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

$37.33 LKR 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,217 LKR 404.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$18.43 LKR 6,126

-43.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.62 LKR 5,526

-53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

6.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$42.13 LKR 14.0K

-38.55%

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 Ragama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Ragama

$234 46.5% 9.5% $25

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Ragama

$104 20.7% 32.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Ragama

$70 14% 22% $13

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Ragama

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8% 36.4% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Ragama

$83 16.5% 777% $74

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4% 46.6% $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 Ragama. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $234, with Ragama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Ragama

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

15,000

💱 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 Ragama 65 km

From you

Ratnapura
Ragama

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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $477 in Ratnapura and $502 in Ragama, so Ratnapura is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $715 in Ratnapura and $753 in Ragama 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratnapura – a meal for two runs $9 versus $25 in Ragama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $477 per month in Ratnapura versus $502 in Ragama – Ratnapura is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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.