Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandana and Matale

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $119 a month against $509 in Kandana, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kandana
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Kandana Living Index

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Kandana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$119

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kandana and in Matale

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

A single person spends $509 per month in Kandana vs $119 in Matale, rent included.

Kandana $509
Matale $119

A couple spends around $827 per month in Kandana vs $199 in Matale, rent included.

Kandana $827
Matale $199

A family of three spends $1,145 per month in Kandana vs $278 in Matale, rent included.

Kandana $1,145
Matale $278

Kandana costs about 326% more than Matale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kandana and Matale are more affordable than the global median – Kandana 62% lower, Matale 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.76 LKR 1,252

$1.86 LKR 618

102.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.18 LKR 8,377

$9.21 LKR 3,063

173.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 LKR 2,477

$4.62 LKR 1,537

61.26%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 808

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.47 LKR 157

53.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.6

$0.27 LKR 89.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 LKR 726

$2.42 LKR 805

-9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,025

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.70 LKR 565

-7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$0.37 LKR 123

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$0.68 LKR 227

10.29%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 549

$1.11 LKR 368

48.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 LKR 5,051

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,622

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 LKR 2,581

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 LKR 2,238

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 273

$0.58 LKR 192

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 LKR 1,368

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 426

$0.86 LKR 286

48.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 343

$0.55 LKR 183

87.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$0.52 LKR 172

57.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 LKR 413

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 LKR 3,378

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 LKR 4,464

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 LKR 623

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 111

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 288

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 457

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

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

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

$45.5K LKR 15.1M

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

$57.5 LKR 19.1K

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

$4.30 LKR 1,430

$3.74 LKR 1,242

14.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.55 LKR 6,835

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,480

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

$40.32 LKR 13.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.24 LKR 6,065

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.49 LKR 5,817

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 LKR 26.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.94 LKR 13.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.57 LKR 11.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$48.65 LKR 16.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 LKR 61.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

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

Last update for Kandana: November 3, 2026

Last update for Matale: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kandana

$243 47.7%

Matale

–

Eating Out

Kandana

$103 20.2%

Matale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandana

$82 16.2%

Matale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kandana

$70 13.8%

Matale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kandana

$8.9 * 1.8%

Matale

–

Getting Around

Kandana

$2.1 * 0.4%

Matale

–

Accommodation & Living

Kandana

- * 0%

Matale

–

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 Kandana versus $9 in Matale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $38 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandana

🇱🇰 Matale

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

Same time as Kandana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

40,800

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kandana Matale 93 km

From you

Kandana
Matale

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

Kandana vs Matale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kandana is pricier by about 326%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $764 per month in Kandana and $179 in Matale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 534% more in Kandana, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kandana and $9 in Matale. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $509 in Kandana and $119 in Matale, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kandana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $119 in Matale to $509 in Kandana. 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.