Mandalay at a glance
- Mandalay ranks 5th of 6 priced cities in Myanmar on cost: $385 a month in essentials, 19% above Mawlamyine, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $229 covers that 0.6×.
- 99.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 18.8 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Myanmar cities we track, so every row says whether Mandalay is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $385 | $368 | $18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $153 | $139 | $14 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $284 | $258 | $26 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $103 | $101 | $2 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $56 | $55 | $1 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $64 | $64 | $0 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $9 | $9 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $229 | $217 | $11 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $424 | $386 | $38 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $809 | $736 | $72 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Mandalay, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.25 | $2.21 | $0.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $14.69 | $14.44 | $0.25 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $2.64 | $2.59 | $0.05 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.48 | $1.46 | $0.02 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.88 | $0.86 | $0.02 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.76 | $1.73 | $0.03 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.65 | $0.64 | $0.01 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.01 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.50 | $1.48 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.02 | $1.00 | $0.02 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.94 | $1.91 | $0.03 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.64 | $1.61 | $0.03 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $5.67 | $5.57 | $0.10 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.07 | $4.00 | $0.07 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.02 | $3.95 | $0.07 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.97 | $0.95 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.73 | $2.68 | $0.05 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.24 | $2.20 | $0.04 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.44 | $1.42 | $0.02 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.43 | $0.42 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $9.40 | $9.32 | $0.08 |
| Taxi start | $0.94 | $0.94 | $0.00 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.94 | $0.94 | $0.00 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $8.57 | $8.50 | $0.07 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $46.49 | $46.12 | $0.37 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.60 | $17.46 | $0.14 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $7.08 | $7.03 | $0.05 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $17.18 | $16.88 | $0.30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $2.20 | $2.16 | $0.04 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Mandalay has 99.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 2nd-highest of 6 Myanmar cities we track. Myanmar's national figure is 102.5, so Mandalay runs 3 below the country as a whole.
Every Myanmar region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Mandalay ranks against every city we track
Mandalay sits ahead of 90% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 85% of 1010. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 14% of 999.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Mandalay sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Mandalay on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Mandalay beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Mandalay in the research deskOr unlock the Myanmar deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Alexander Schimmeck, Unsplash License.
Data updated