Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratnapura and Trincomalee

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $477 a month against $509 in Trincomalee, rent and utilities included – about $380 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Trincomalee
Learn more

Trincomalee Living Index

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Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Trincomalee

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratnapura and in Trincomalee

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Ratnapura vs $509 in Trincomalee, rent included.

Ratnapura $477
Trincomalee $509

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ratnapura vs $826 in Trincomalee, rent included.

Ratnapura $765
Trincomalee $826

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Ratnapura vs $1,143 in Trincomalee, rent included.

Ratnapura $1,054
Trincomalee $1,143

Ratnapura is about 6% cheaper than Trincomalee, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratnapura and Trincomalee are more affordable than the global median – Ratnapura 65% lower, Trincomalee 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 LKR 647

$3.91 LKR 1,300

-50.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.22 LKR 3,066

$25.21 LKR 8,380

-63.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 LKR 2,014

$7.75 LKR 2,575

-21.81%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.53 LKR 840

-17.79%

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

$0.25 LKR 82.3

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LKR 642

$2.25 LKR 749

-14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 921

$2.98 LKR 992

-7.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 LKR 612

$1.62 LKR 538

13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LKR 263

$0.52 LKR 174

51.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$0.74 LKR 247

-10.81%

Eggs

$1.07 LKR 357

$1.64 LKR 545

-34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 LKR 4,898

$14.05 LKR 4,670

4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 LKR 2,125

$4.98 LKR 1,655

28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 LKR 5,186

$7.30 LKR 2,425

113.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,417

$6.62 LKR 2,201

-35.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.87 LKR 289

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 LKR 1,378

$4.46 LKR 1,481

-7.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.33 LKR 441

-29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.03 LKR 344

1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 LKR 465

$0.76 LKR 254

84.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 LKR 154

$0.95 LKR 315

-51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.42 LKR 140

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 LKR 4,274

$10.11 LKR 3,362

27.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 LKR 4,296

$13.10 LKR 4,354

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 LKR 693

$1.90 LKR 631

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 LKR 959

$2.90 LKR 965

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.40 LKR 134

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 LKR 146

$0.35 LKR 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.34 LKR 446

-25.37%

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

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-55.08%

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

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-50.99%

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

$58.2 LKR 19.3K

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

$2.07 LKR 687

$4.17 LKR 1,388

-50.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.41 LKR 2,462

$20.63 LKR 6,858

-64.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 794

$4.45 LKR 1,479

-46.29%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,193 LKR 396.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.48 LKR 3,484

$17.98 LKR 5,976

-41.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,561

$16.87 LKR 5,608

-54.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

$80.5 LKR 26.8K

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 LKR 8,608

$42.56 LKR 14.1K

-39.17%

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 Trincomalee: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ratnapura

$258 54.2%

Trincomalee

$238 46.7% 8% $21

Eating Out

Ratnapura

$79 16.5%

Trincomalee

$106 20.8% 34.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ratnapura

$58 12.1%

Trincomalee

$71 14% 23% $13

Accommodation & Living

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

Trincomalee

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Ratnapura

$14 2.9%

Trincomalee

$8.9 * 1.8% 36% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2%

Trincomalee

$83 16.3% 776% $74

Getting Around

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8%

Trincomalee

$2.1 * 0.4% 45.8% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Ratnapura versus $25 in Trincomalee. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Ratnapura vs $238 in Trincomalee – so Trincomalee wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Trincomalee

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

Same time as Ratnapura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,100

99,100

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Ratnapura Trincomalee 230 km

From you

Ratnapura
Trincomalee

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 Trincomalee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Trincomalee is pricier by about 7%, 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 $763 in Trincomalee. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Trincomalee – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Ratnapura and $25 in Trincomalee. 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 $509 in Trincomalee, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Trincomalee has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ratnapura to $509 in Trincomalee. 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.