Kandy at a glance
- Kandy ranks 7th of 10 priced cities in Sri Lanka on cost: $420 a month in essentials, 18% above Batticaloa, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $196 covers that 0.5×.
- 87.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at DS division level.
- PM2.5 averages 11.5 µg/m³ a year, 2× 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 10 Sri Lanka cities we track, so every row says whether Kandy 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 | $420 | $392 | $28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $178 | $160 | $18 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $392 | $352 | $40 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $77 | $74 | $4 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $90 | $86 | $4 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $69 | $67 | $2 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $6 | $6 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $196 | $180 | $16 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $295 | $264 | $30 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,023 | $918 | $106 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kandy, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.88 | $3.71 | $0.17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $21.07 | $20.11 | $0.96 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.58 | $6.28 | $0.30 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.13 | $2.03 | $0.10 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.94 | $1.85 | $0.08 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.63 | $2.51 | $0.12 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.62 | $0.58 | $0.04 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.23 | $0.21 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.39 | $1.33 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.43 | $0.41 | $0.02 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.68 | $0.65 | $0.04 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.38 | $1.32 | $0.06 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $11.30 | $10.79 | $0.52 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.25 | $4.05 | $0.20 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.96 | $5.69 | $0.27 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.72 | $0.69 | $0.03 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.09 | $1.04 | $0.05 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.86 | $0.82 | $0.04 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.67 | $0.64 | $0.04 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.40 | $0.39 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.14 | $0.14 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $6.73 | $6.59 | $0.14 |
| Taxi start | $0.37 | $0.35 | $0.02 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.34 | $0.33 | $0.01 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.19 | $1.17 | $0.02 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $49.25 | $48.20 | $1.05 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $19.37 | $18.97 | $0.40 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $3.87 | $3.79 | $0.08 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $11.99 | $11.45 | $0.54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.69 | $3.52 | $0.17 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kandy has 87.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (DS division level). That is the lowest of the 10 Sri Lanka cities we track. Sri Lanka's national figure is 98.8, so Kandy runs 11 below the country as a whole.
Every Sri Lanka region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kandy ranks against every city we track
Kandy sits ahead of 95% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20โ39. On cost of living it is ahead of 88% of 998. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 10% of 999.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kandy sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Kandy on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Kandy beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Kandy in the research deskOr unlock the Sri Lanka deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: เถธเทเถบเทเถปเท เทเถเถเถฝเทเถด, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Data updated