Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707

A couple spends around $766 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,096 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Ratnapura $766
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096

A family of three spends $1,056 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,485 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,056
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485

Ratnapura is about 32% cheaper than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ratnapura and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 65% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 LKR 654

$3.84 LKR 1,271

-48.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.04 LKR 2,994

$25.15 LKR 8,331

-64.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 LKR 1,974

$7.65 LKR 2,533

-22.09%

Cappuccino

$2.12 LKR 704

$2.57 LKR 852

-17.51%

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

$0.75 LKR 247

$0.73 LKR 241

2.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 LKR 156

$0.25 LKR 81.8

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 LKR 644

$2.22 LKR 735

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 LKR 883

$2.98 LKR 989

-10.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 LKR 614

$1.27 LKR 421

45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 LKR 259

$0.58 LKR 191

34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 LKR 204

$0.74 LKR 246

-17.57%

Eggs

$1.06 LKR 353

$1.72 LKR 568

-38.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 LKR 4,934

$13.81 LKR 4,576

7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 LKR 2,071

$4.41 LKR 1,462

41.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 LKR 5,266

$5.29 LKR 1,754

200.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,416

$6.21 LKR 2,058

-31.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 245

$0.84 LKR 279

-11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 LKR 1,441

$4.36 LKR 1,445

-0.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 LKR 314

$1.20 LKR 397

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 332

$0.87 LKR 288

14.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 LKR 457

$0.82 LKR 270

68.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.88 LKR 291

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.46 LKR 151

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.09 LKR 4,337

$9.15 LKR 3,031

43.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.86 LKR 4,261

$12.73 LKR 4,216

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 LKR 668

$1.95 LKR 645

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 LKR 925

$3.02 LKR 1,001

-7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 114

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.31 LKR 103

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.38 LKR 125

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 LKR 302

$1.15 LKR 381

-20.87%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

-54.50%

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

$19.5K LKR 6.5M

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-52.37%

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

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

$2.07 LKR 686

$4.36 LKR 1,445

-52.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.38 LKR 2,445

$12.16 LKR 4,028

-39.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.94 LKR 2,963

$14.89 LKR 4,933

-39.96%

Cinema Ticket

$2.40 LKR 793

$3.08 LKR 1,020

-22.08%

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.42 LKR 3,452

$18.40 LKR 6,093

-43.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.54 LKR 2,497

$16.89 LKR 5,593

-55.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 LKR 27.5K

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.42 LKR 8,419

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

-38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 LKR 25.1K

$307 LKR 101.7K

-75.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.3 LKR 18.3K

$224 LKR 74.1K

-75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.1 LKR 28.5K

$382 LKR 126.4K

-77.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 LKR 57.0K

$298 LKR 98.8K

-42.24%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$259 54.2%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4% 14.3% $37

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9% 33.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$57 11.9%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9% 23.3% $13

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7% 305% $169

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3% 53.2% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8% 558% $53

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$3.9 * 0.8%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3% 43.4% $1.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $75.7 in Ratnapura versus $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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 73% higher in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Ratnapura versus $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Groceries tell a different story – $259 in Ratnapura vs $222 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – so Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

115,826 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ratnapura Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 58 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $716 per month in Ratnapura and $1,060 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Ratnapura and $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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 $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ratnapura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ratnapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.