Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Kandy

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $804 in Colombo, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
Learn more

Kandy Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $513 in Kandy.

Colombo $804
Kandy $513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $728 in Kandy.

Colombo $1,240
Kandy $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $943 in Kandy.

Colombo $1,675
Kandy $943

Living in Colombo is roughly 57% more expensive than in Kandy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colombo 41% lower, Kandy 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,243

$2.66 LKR 885

40.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,217

$13.01 LKR 4,324

90.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$6.00 LKR 1,996

26.67%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$1.90 LKR 632

28.95%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$0.52 LKR 174

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$0.26 LKR 87.1

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$1.86 LKR 620

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,020

$2.80 LKR 931

9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.15 LKR 382

36.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.52 LKR 174

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$0.77 LKR 255

3.90%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,626

$5.14 LKR 1,708

170.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$4.25 LKR 1,412

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$6.87 LKR 2,285

8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$3.14 LKR 1,043

103.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$0.84 LKR 280

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$1.73 LKR 574

146.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$1.29 LKR 429

3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.02 LKR 339

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$0.83 LKR 277

-2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.43 LKR 144

116.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.42 LKR 140

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,435

$8.02 LKR 2,668

28.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,279

$11.28 LKR 3,751

14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.93 LKR 643

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.08 LKR 691

44.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$0.16 LKR 53.3

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

$4.38 LKR 1,457

36.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.41 LKR 136

-2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$0.47 LKR 156

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.15 LKR 383

14.78%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

210.63%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

8.00%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

-0.27%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$3.86 LKR 1,282

8.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$12.72 LKR 4,227

62.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,611

$10.85 LKR 3,606

83.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

$6.80 LKR 2,262

-14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,469

$2.74 LKR 909

61.31%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$21.65 LKR 7,199

76.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.5K

$304 LKR 101.0K

299.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,907

$18.28 LKR 6,078

-2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,525

$10.15 LKR 3,375

63.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.9K

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$26.56 LKR 8,831

58.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

$172 LKR 57.2K

240.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

$113 LKR 37.5K

143.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.5K

$172 LKR 57.2K

874.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 163.0K

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

423.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

$397 LKR 131.9K

816.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.0K

$400 LKR 133.0K

189.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 86.0K

$262 LKR 86.9K

-1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

5.75%

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

Last update for Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Kandy

$113 22% 59% $162

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Kandy

$166 32.3% 29.4% $69

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Kandy

$80 15.6% 22.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Kandy

$76 14.7% 9.7% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Kandy

$55 10.8% 20.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Kandy

$16 3.2% 43.2% $12

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Kandy

$7.2 1.4% 18.8% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Colombo and $172 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $13 in Kandy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $166 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇱🇰 Kandy

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

Same time as Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

125,000

💱 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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Colombo Kandy 95 km

From you

Colombo
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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

Colombo vs Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Colombo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kandy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Colombo and $770 in Kandy to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Colombo versus $172 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Colombo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kandy – a meal for two runs $13 versus $25 in Colombo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kandy gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kandy delivers better value at $513 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kandy hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Colombo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.