Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Kandy

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
Learn more

Kandy Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Kandy

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

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Bali vs $513 in Kandy, rent included.

Bali $1,214
Kandy $513

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Bali vs $728 in Kandy, rent included.

Bali $2,047
Kandy $728

A family of three spends $2,880 per month in Bali vs $943 in Kandy, rent included.

Bali $2,880
Kandy $943

Bali costs about 137% more than Kandy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Kandy are more affordable than the global median – Bali 11% lower, Kandy 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

$2.66 LKR 885

2.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.91 Rp 525.5K

$13.01 LKR 4,324

122.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 Rp 82.9K

$6.00 LKR 1,996

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$2.26 Rp 41.2K

$1.90 LKR 632

18.95%

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

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$0.52 LKR 174

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

$0.26 LKR 87.1

161.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.86 LKR 620

19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 Rp 66.9K

$2.80 LKR 931

31.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.15 LKR 382

29.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.7K

$0.52 LKR 174

319.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 Rp 20.7K

$0.77 LKR 255

48.05%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

$1.71 LKR 568

18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.81 Rp 305.5K

$5.14 LKR 1,708

227.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 64.9K

$4.25 LKR 1,412

-16.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 Rp 205.5K

$6.87 LKR 2,285

64.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.6K

$3.14 LKR 1,043

9.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

$0.84 LKR 280

79.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$1.73 LKR 574

26.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

$1.29 LKR 429

45.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 31.1K

$1.02 LKR 339

67.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

$0.83 LKR 277

179.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.1K

$0.43 LKR 144

130.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Rp 9,085

$0.42 LKR 140

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 Rp 36.9K

$8.02 LKR 2,668

-74.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 Rp 390.6K

$11.28 LKR 3,751

90.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 Rp 38.8K

$1.93 LKR 643

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

$2.08 LKR 691

37.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,571

$0.16 LKR 53.3

56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 160.3K

$4.38 LKR 1,457

101.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,169

$0.41 LKR 136

9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 Rp 7,991

$0.35 LKR 116

25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 Rp 99.6K

$0.47 LKR 156

1065.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$1.15 LKR 383

-22.61%

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

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

73.85%

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

$31.9K Rp 580.5M

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

-13.07%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

35.32%

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

$6.55 Rp 119.0K

$3.86 LKR 1,282

69.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.48 Rp 335.9K

$12.72 LKR 4,227

45.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 Rp 739.0K

$10.85 LKR 3,606

274.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 Rp 271.3K

$6.80 LKR 2,262

119.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.67 Rp 66.6K

$2.74 LKR 909

33.94%

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

$21.65 LKR 7,199

1919.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,063 Rp 92.0M

$304 LKR 101.0K

1566.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.62 Rp 792.8K

$18.28 LKR 6,078

138.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.69 Rp 594.2K

$10.15 LKR 3,375

222.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 Rp 1.4M

$26.56 LKR 8,831

179.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 Rp 17.9M

$172 LKR 57.2K

472.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 Rp 10.6M

$113 LKR 37.5K

416.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,121 Rp 56.7M

$172 LKR 57.2K

1713.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 Rp 26.8M

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

1475.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 Rp 44.5M

$397 LKR 131.9K

516.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.7M

$400 LKR 133.0K

390.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$262 LKR 86.9K

-17.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

14.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$583 48%

Kandy

$113 22% 80.6% $470

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$275 22.7%

Kandy

$166 32.3% 39.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Kandy

$76 14.7% 27.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.3%

Kandy

$55 10.8% 45.3% $46

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.4%

Kandy

$80 15.6% 10.5% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$48 4%

Kandy

$16 3.2% 66% $32

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Kandy

$7.2 1.4% 42.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Bali versus $172 in Kandy. 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 22% higher in Kandy, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $13 in Kandy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $166 – making Kandy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇱🇰 Kandy

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bali Kandy 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Kandy

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

Bali vs Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 137% more than Kandy, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,821 per month in Bali and $770 in Kandy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kandy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $984 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $13 in Kandy. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,214 in Bali and $513 in Kandy. That’s a gap of about 137%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandy, where all-in costs run around $513, than in Bali at $1,214. In Kandy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kandy costs $513 versus $1,214 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

For expats, Kandy is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 137% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.