Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trincomalee and Ratnapura

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.

24

Cost of Living Index in Trincomalee
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Trincomalee Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Trincomalee

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee and in Ratnapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Trincomalee $509
Ratnapura $477

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

Trincomalee $826
Ratnapura $765

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

Trincomalee $1,143
Ratnapura $1,054

Trincomalee costs about 7% more than Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.91 LKR 1,300

$1.95 LKR 647

100.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.21 LKR 8,380

$9.22 LKR 3,066

173.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 LKR 2,575

$6.06 LKR 2,014

27.89%

Cappuccino

$2.53 LKR 840

$2.08 LKR 691

21.63%

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

$0.73 LKR 242

$0.73 LKR 244

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.3

$0.44 LKR 146

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$1.93 LKR 642

16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 992

$2.77 LKR 921

7.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 538

$1.84 LKR 612

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.79 LKR 263

-34.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 247

$0.66 LKR 219

12.12%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 545

$1.07 LKR 357

53.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 LKR 4,670

$14.73 LKR 4,898

-4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 LKR 1,655

$6.39 LKR 2,125

-22.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 LKR 2,425

$15.60 LKR 5,186

-53.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,201

$4.26 LKR 1,417

55.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 289

$0.75 LKR 248

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,481

$4.14 LKR 1,378

7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.94 LKR 311

41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 344

$1.05 LKR 349

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 254

$1.40 LKR 465

-45.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 315

$0.46 LKR 154

106.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.43 LKR 144

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 LKR 3,362

$12.86 LKR 4,274

-21.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 LKR 4,354

$12.92 LKR 4,296

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 631

$2.09 LKR 693

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 LKR 965

$2.88 LKR 959

0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 LKR 115

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.37 LKR 124

8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.44 LKR 146

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 LKR 446

$1.00 LKR 331

34.00%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

$19.8K LKR 6.6M

122.62%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

104.05%

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)

$4.17 LKR 1,388

$2.07 LKR 687

101.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.63 LKR 6,858

$7.41 LKR 2,462

178.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.13 LKR 3,034

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,479

$2.39 LKR 794

86.19%

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)

$17.98 LKR 5,976

$10.48 LKR 3,484

71.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.87 LKR 5,608

$7.70 LKR 2,561

119.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 LKR 26.8K

$84.3 LKR 28.0K

-4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.56 LKR 14.1K

$25.89 LKR 8,608

64.39%

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 Trincomalee: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Trincomalee

$238 46.7%

Ratnapura

$258 54.2% 8.7% $21

Eating Out

Trincomalee

$106 20.8%

Ratnapura

$79 16.5% 25.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trincomalee

$83 16.3%

Ratnapura

$9.5 * 2% 88.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Trincomalee

$71 14%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 18.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Trincomalee

$8.9 * 1.8%

Ratnapura

$14 2.9% 56.3% $5

Getting Around

Trincomalee

$2.1 * 0.4%

Ratnapura

$4 * 0.8% 84.6% $1.8

Accommodation & Living

Trincomalee

- * 0%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5%

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

Good to know

🇱🇰 Trincomalee

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

Same time as Trincomalee

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,100

52,100

💱 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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Between locations

Trincomalee Ratnapura 230 km

From you

Trincomalee
Ratnapura

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

Trincomalee vs Ratnapura: 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 $763 per month in Trincomalee and $715 in Ratnapura. 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 $25 in Trincomalee and $9 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 $509 in Trincomalee and $477 in Ratnapura, 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.