Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentota and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $777 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$777

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bentota and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Bentota versus $3,594 in Singapore.

Bentota $777
Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $896 in Bentota versus $5,314 in Singapore.

Bentota $896
Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,014 in Bentota versus $7,033 in Singapore.

Bentota $1,014
Singapore $7,033

Living in Bentota costs roughly 78% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bentota is 42% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 LKR 1,257

$11.58 SGD 14.84

-67.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.00 LKR 3,991

$70.7 SGD 90.5

-83.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 LKR 2,447

$8.46 SGD 10.84

-13.00%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 822

$5.18 SGD 6.64

-52.32%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.84 SGD 2.36

-61.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.0

$1.23 SGD 1.58

-79.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 728

$9.50 SGD 12.17

-76.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 LKR 1,030

$9.86 SGD 12.63

-68.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 523

$3.02 SGD 3.87

-48.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$2.67 SGD 3.42

-80.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 267

$2.77 SGD 3.54

-71.12%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 549

$3.72 SGD 4.77

-55.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.18 LKR 5,047

$21.01 SGD 26.92

-27.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 LKR 1,119

$9.95 SGD 12.75

-66.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.47 LKR 1,488

$25.13 SGD 32.20

-82.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 LKR 2,247

$4.59 SGD 5.88

47.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 254

$3.09 SGD 3.96

-75.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 LKR 1,356

$4.64 SGD 5.95

-12.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 LKR 287

$2.18 SGD 2.79

-60.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 357

$2.33 SGD 2.99

-54.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 274

$2.31 SGD 2.96

-64.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 402

$1.86 SGD 2.39

-34.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

$1.55 SGD 1.98

-72.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 LKR 3,347

$14.11 SGD 18.08

-28.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,552

$23.24 SGD 29.78

-41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 630

$4.73 SGD 6.06

-59.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 956

$4.79 SGD 6.14

-40.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 LKR 62.4

$1.53 SGD 1.96

-87.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$3.58 SGD 4.59

-89.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 LKR 96.3

$0.76 SGD 0.97

-61.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$16.98 SGD 21.75

-94.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$2.46 SGD 3.15

-43.50%

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

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

-72.37%

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

$45.0K LKR 15.0M

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

-71.11%

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

$57.4 LKR 19.1K

$168 SGD 215

-65.85%

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

$2.32 LKR 770

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-81.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.88 LKR 2,952

$28.18 SGD 36.11

-68.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 LKR 1,525

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-62.50%

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

$40.65 LKR 13.5K

$1,899 SGD 2,433

-97.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

-55.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.34 LKR 6,100

$79.6 SGD 102

-76.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.33 LKR 5,761

$50.7 SGD 65.0

-65.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$112 SGD 143

-30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

$125 SGD 160

-66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 LKR 181.6K

$3,191 SGD 4,089

-82.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 100.3K

$2,257 SGD 2,892

-86.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

2.44

412.30%

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

Last update for Bentota: October 31, 2026

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bentota

$302 38.8%

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8% 648% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Bentota

$223 28.7%

Singapore

$459 12.8% 106% $236

Eating Out

Bentota

$103 13.2%

Singapore

$260 7.2% 152% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Bentota

$70 9%

Singapore

$165 4.6% 137% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentota

$69 8.8%

Singapore

$208 5.8% 204% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Bentota

$9.2 * 1.2%

Singapore

$135 3.8% 1373% $126

Getting Around

Bentota

$2.6 * 0.3%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 4162% $107

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $546 in Bentota and $3,191 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12 in Bentota vs $71 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $459 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bentota

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bentota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,000

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bentota Singapore 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bentota
Singapore

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

Bentota vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is about 78% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,166 in Bentota and $5,392 in Singapore to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $546 in Bentota versus $3,191 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $777 per month in Bentota versus $3,594 in Singapore – Bentota is about 78% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $777 in Bentota versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.