Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $811 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colombo 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 Colombo and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $811 in Colombo versus $3,594 in Singapore.

Colombo $811
Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Colombo versus $5,314 in Singapore.

Colombo $1,298
Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,785 in Colombo versus $7,033 in Singapore.

Colombo $1,785
Singapore $7,033

Living in Colombo costs roughly 77% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Colombo is 40% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,304

$11.58 SGD 14.84

-66.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 LKR 8,174

$70.7 SGD 90.5

-65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 LKR 2,458

$8.46 SGD 10.84

-12.65%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$5.18 SGD 6.64

-52.90%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$1.84 SGD 2.36

-63.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.0

$1.23 SGD 1.58

-79.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$9.50 SGD 12.17

-77.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,007

$9.86 SGD 12.63

-69.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$3.02 SGD 3.87

-47.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$2.67 SGD 3.42

-80.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$2.77 SGD 3.54

-70.76%

Eggs

$1.62 LKR 539

$3.72 SGD 4.77

-56.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 LKR 5,034

$21.01 SGD 26.92

-27.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 LKR 1,701

$9.95 SGD 12.75

-48.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,546

$25.13 SGD 32.20

-69.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,200

$4.59 SGD 5.88

44.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 292

$3.09 SGD 3.96

-71.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 LKR 1,381

$4.64 SGD 5.95

-10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$2.18 SGD 2.79

-41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$2.33 SGD 2.99

-55.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$2.31 SGD 2.96

-64.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.86 SGD 2.39

-34.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$1.55 SGD 1.98

-70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 LKR 3,337

$14.11 SGD 18.08

-28.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,554

$23.24 SGD 29.78

-41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$4.73 SGD 6.06

-59.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 987

$4.79 SGD 6.14

-38.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

$1.53 SGD 1.96

-88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

$96.5 SGD 124

-91.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$3.58 SGD 4.59

-89.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 111

$0.76 SGD 0.97

-55.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$16.98 SGD 21.75

-94.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$2.46 SGD 3.15

-46.34%

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

-72.67%

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

-71.04%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

$168 SGD 215

-65.65%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-65.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,870

$28.18 SGD 36.11

-26.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,774

$111 SGD 142

-81.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,043

$11.60 SGD 14.86

-47.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 LKR 1,541

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-62.17%

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

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

$1,899 SGD 2,433

-97.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

-55.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 LKR 6,025

$79.6 SGD 102

-77.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 LKR 5,767

$50.7 SGD 65.0

-65.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$112 SGD 143

-30.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

$125 SGD 160

-66.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

$3,191 SGD 4,089

-82.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

$2,257 SGD 2,892

-87.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.3K

$6,173 SGD 7,910

-72.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.0K

$4,035 SGD 5,170

-85.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-84.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.1K

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

-92.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LKR 82.6K

$4,526 SGD 5,799

-94.51%

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 Colombo: 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

Colombo

$271 33.4%

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8% 733% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$244 30.1%

Singapore

$459 12.8% 88.1% $215

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.7%

Singapore

$260 7.2% 152% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$83 10.2%

Singapore

$208 5.8% 152% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Singapore

$165 4.6% 137% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$30 3.7%

Singapore

$135 3.8% 356% $105

Getting Around

Colombo

$11 1.3%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 909% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $565 in Colombo and $3,191 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 18 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $71 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $459 per month, with Colombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

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 →

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Between locations

Colombo Singapore 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
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

Colombo vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Colombo. 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: $565 in Colombo versus $3,191 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Colombo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.