Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $484 a month against $513 in Kandy, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. The total is higher in Kandy despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index

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Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kandy and in Jaffna

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

A single person spends $513 per month in Kandy vs $484 in Jaffna, rent included.

Kandy $513
Jaffna $484

A couple spends around $728 per month in Kandy vs $774 in Jaffna, rent included.

Kandy $728
Jaffna $774

A family of three spends $943 per month in Kandy vs $1,063 in Jaffna, rent included.

Kandy $943
Jaffna $1,063

Kandy costs about 6% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kandy and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Kandy 62% lower, Jaffna 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$1.03 LKR 342

158.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$40.37 LKR 13.4K

-67.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$4.61 LKR 1,533

30.15%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$3.21 LKR 1,067

-40.81%

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

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.66 LKR 552

-68.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$0.48 LKR 161

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$3.59 LKR 1,195

-48.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$6.04 LKR 2,009

-53.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$0.71 LKR 236

61.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.46 LKR 152

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.64 LKR 212

20.31%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.35 LKR 448

26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$4.41 LKR 1,466

16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$3.18 LKR 1,057

33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$6.09 LKR 2,026

12.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$3.66 LKR 1,217

-14.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$0.47 LKR 156

78.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$2.94 LKR 978

-41.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$1.47 LKR 489

-12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$0.97 LKR 323

5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$0.62 LKR 205

33.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.58 LKR 193

-25.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.39 LKR 131

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$11.39 LKR 3,787

-29.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$18.40 LKR 6,116

-38.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$2.48 LKR 826

-22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$0.29 LKR 95.8

-44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

$3.08 LKR 1,023

42.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.47 LKR 157

-12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.25 LKR 83.4

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$1.30 LKR 433

-11.54%

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

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

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

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-17.93%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

$45.31 LKR 15.1K

30.24%

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

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$2.94 LKR 977

31.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$5.85 LKR 1,946

85.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$1.78 LKR 593

53.93%

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

$21.65 LKR 7,199

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$36.45 LKR 12.1K

-49.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$150 LKR 49.8K

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$138 LKR 45.7K

-17.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$222 LKR 73.8K

-22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$196 LKR 65.1K

-52.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Jaffna

–

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Jaffna

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Kandy versus $150 in Jaffna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Kandy versus $40 in Jaffna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $168 – making Kandy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

Same time as Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

600,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kandy Jaffna 270 km

From you

Kandy
Jaffna

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

Kandy vs Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $513 in Kandy, $484 in Jaffna – Jaffna comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $770 per month in Kandy and $727 in Jaffna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jaffna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $150 there versus $172 in Kandy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Kandy and $40 in Jaffna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $513 in Kandy and $484 in Jaffna. That makes Jaffna about 6% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $513 in Kandy and $484 in Jaffna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kandy has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $484 in Jaffna to $513 in Kandy. 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.