Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Kandy Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Kandy

😐 Solo nomad: Colombo is 18.9% more expensive than Kandy without rent, and 34.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Colombo is 20.2% more expensive than Kandy without rent, and 38.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.11 LKR 1,229
$2.73 LKR 816
50.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.76 LKR 7,397
$11.86 LKR 3,544
108.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.23 LKR 2,458
$6.61 LKR 1,976
24.51%
Cappuccino
$2.66 LKR 794
$2.67 LKR 798
-0.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 LKR 217
$0.59 LKR 177
23.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 LKR 112
$0.3 LKR 89.6
26.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 LKR 713
$2.24 LKR 670
6.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 LKR 981
$3.3 LKR 987
-0.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 LKR 528
$1.41 LKR 420
25.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.53 LKR 158
$0.52 LKR 155
1.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 LKR 255
$0.88 LKR 262
-3.41%
Eggs
$2.12 LKR 633
$2.16 LKR 647
-1.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.9 LKR 4,154
$8.92 LKR 2,666
55.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.78 LKR 1,427
$4.66 LKR 1,391
2.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.12 LKR 2,425
$8.05 LKR 2,406
0.87%
Apples (1kg)
$7.6 LKR 2,270
$4.58 LKR 1,368
65.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.12 LKR 335
$1.02 LKR 304
9.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.75 LKR 1,719
$3.74 LKR 1,117
53.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.2 LKR 358
$1.25 LKR 374
-4.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.1 LKR 328
$1.15 LKR 344
-4.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 LKR 425
$1.29 LKR 385
10.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 LKR 353
$0.73 LKR 220
61.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 LKR 168
$0.6 LKR 178
-6.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10 LKR 2,987
$9.03 LKR 2,697
10.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.18 LKR 4,237
$12.65 LKR 3,779
12.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 LKR 609
$2.1 LKR 626
-2.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 LKR 845
$2.75 LKR 823
2.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 LKR 50.7
$0.18 LKR 53.7
-5.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.98 LKR 1,489
$15.18 LKR 4,536
-67.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.42 LKR 125
$0.41 LKR 123
2.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 LKR 105
$0.33 LKR 97.7
6.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.61 LKR 181
$0.43 LKR 130
41.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.2 LKR 357
$1.2 LKR 358
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K LKR 8.1M
$18.1K LKR 5.4M
50.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K LKR 10.6M
$21.3K LKR 6.4M
66.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.7 LKR 18.1K
$40.36 LKR 12.1K
50.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.24 LKR 1,268
$4.25 LKR 1,270
-0.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.18 LKR 4,535
$15.28 LKR 4,566
-0.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.36 LKR 4,291
$14.9 LKR 4,452
-3.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.45 LKR 2,227
$5.78 LKR 1,727
28.89%
Cinema Ticket
$3.33 LKR 996
$3.41 LKR 1,019
-2.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$36.28 LKR 10.8K
$36.45 LKR 10.9K
-0.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$449 LKR 134.2K
$321 LKR 95.9K
40.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.95 LKR 8,350
$27.07 LKR 8,088
3.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.77 LKR 5,908
$14.14 LKR 4,225
39.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.3 LKR 20.4K
$57.1 LKR 17K
19.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$38.3 LKR 11.4K
$29.89 LKR 8,931
28.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$373 LKR 111.4K
$133 LKR 39.6K
181.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$173 LKR 51.8K
$84.1 LKR 25.1K
106.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$943 LKR 281.9K
$221 LKR 66K
326.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$357 LKR 106.7K
$165 LKR 49.3K
116.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,329 LKR 695.8K
$435 LKR 130.1K
434.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,336 LKR 399.2K
$443 LKR 132.3K
201.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Colombo
Kandy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$235 LKR 70.3K
$378 LKR 112.9K
-37.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.45
15
9.67%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 28, 2025

Last update for Kandy: October 27, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.