Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Ratnapura

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.

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Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and in Ratnapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707
Ratnapura $477

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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096
Ratnapura $766

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

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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs about 48% more than Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,271

$1.98 LKR 654

93.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.15 LKR 8,331

$9.04 LKR 2,994

178.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,533

$5.96 LKR 1,974

28.36%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$2.12 LKR 704

21.23%

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

$0.73 LKR 241

$0.75 LKR 247

-2.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.47 LKR 156

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$1.94 LKR 644

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 989

$2.67 LKR 883

11.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 421

$1.85 LKR 614

-31.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$0.78 LKR 259

-25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$0.61 LKR 204

21.31%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 568

$1.06 LKR 353

62.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 LKR 4,576

$14.90 LKR 4,934

-7.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,462

$6.25 LKR 2,071

-29.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 LKR 1,754

$15.90 LKR 5,266

-66.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

$4.27 LKR 1,416

45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$0.74 LKR 245

13.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$4.35 LKR 1,441

0.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 397

$0.95 LKR 314

26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.00 LKR 332

-13.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.38 LKR 457

-40.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$0.46 LKR 151

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.43 LKR 142

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

$13.09 LKR 4,337

-30.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

$12.86 LKR 4,261

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$2.02 LKR 668

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

$2.79 LKR 925

8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 114

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.35 LKR 115

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.43 LKR 143

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 381

$0.91 LKR 302

26.37%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

119.80%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$19.5K LKR 6.5M

109.95%

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)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$2.07 LKR 686

110.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

$7.38 LKR 2,445

64.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

$8.94 LKR 2,963

66.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$2.40 LKR 793

28.33%

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)

$18.40 LKR 6,093

$10.42 LKR 3,452

76.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

$7.54 LKR 2,497

124.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

$83.1 LKR 27.5K

-4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

$25.42 LKR 8,419

62.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

$75.7 LKR 25.1K

305.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.1K

$55.3 LKR 18.3K

304.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 LKR 126.4K

$86.1 LKR 28.5K

343.16%

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)

$298 LKR 98.8K

$172 LKR 57.0K

73.14%

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Ratnapura

$55 11.6% 75.3% $169

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Ratnapura

$259 54.2% 16.7% $37

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Ratnapura

$79 16.6% 25% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Ratnapura

$57 11.9% 18.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 84.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 34.7% $7.3

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

Ratnapura

$3.9 * 0.8% 76.8% $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 $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $75.7 in Ratnapura. 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 $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $9.00 in Ratnapura. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $259 in Ratnapura – so Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

Same time as Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

52,100

💱 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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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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs Ratnapura: 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 $1,060 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $716 in Ratnapura. 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 $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $9.00 in Ratnapura. 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 $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $477 in Ratnapura, 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.