Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
Learn more

Kandy Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kandy and in Medellin

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 Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $513 in Kandy versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Kandy $513
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Kandy versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Kandy $728
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $943 in Kandy versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Kandy $943
Medellin $3,186

Living in Kandy costs roughly 69% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kandy is 62% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-67.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-72.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-36.84%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$3.01 COP 9,485

-36.88%

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

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.80 COP 5,660

-71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$1.41 COP 4,443

-81.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$3.18 COP 9,990

-41.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-51.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$1.51 COP 4,751

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$2.38 COP 7,480

-78.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$1.77 COP 5,573

-56.50%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$2.89 COP 9,093

-40.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-49.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-56.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-50.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-20.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$1.55 COP 4,883

-45.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$2.18 COP 6,867

-20.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$2.18 COP 6,870

-40.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.96 COP 6,174

-47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$1.59 COP 5,000

-47.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$1.15 COP 3,604

-62.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$1.24 COP 3,911

-66.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$3.96 COP 12.5K

102.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$1.66 COP 5,221

16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.26 COP 7,103

-7.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$1.17 COP 3,674

-86.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-94.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$1.27 COP 3,989

-67.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$2.05 COP 6,442

-82.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-94.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$1.35 COP 4,237

-14.81%

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

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-58.98%

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

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

5.98%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

$170 COP 533.7K

-65.22%

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

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-54.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-75.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-60.44%

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-60.35%

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

$21.65 LKR 7,199

$797 COP 2.5M

-97.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-96.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-78.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-82.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

$135 COP 424.6K

-49.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-72.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-85.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$642 COP 2.0M

-82.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-91.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-90.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-90.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-79.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

$657 COP 2.1M

-60.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.69%

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

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 79% $131

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 468% $529

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 112% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 180% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 206% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 253% $41

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1205% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $172 in Kandy and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.5 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13 in Kandy vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $297 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

15:22 3:22 PM

10 h 30 min behind Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kandy Medellin 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Kandy
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Kandy. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $172 in Kandy versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $513 per month in Kandy versus $1,639 in Medellin – Kandy is about 69% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 94% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $513 in Kandy versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kandy but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kandy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kandy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.