Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galle and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Galle: $510 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Galle, Sri Lanka
Singapore, Singapore
Galle
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$510
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $510 in Galle versus $3,594 in Singapore.

  • Galle $510
  • Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $829 in Galle versus $5,314 in Singapore.

  • Galle $829
  • Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,148 in Galle versus $7,033 in Singapore.

  • Galle $1,148
  • Singapore $7,033

Living in Galle costs roughly 86% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Galle is 62% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.71 LKR 1,232
$11.58 SGD 14.84
-67.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.23 LKR 8,391
$70.7 SGD 90.5
-64.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.43 LKR 2,471
$8.46 SGD 10.84
-12.17%
Cappuccino
$2.55 LKR 847
$5.18 SGD 6.64
-50.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 LKR 242
$1.84 SGD 2.36
-60.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 LKR 83.2
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-79.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 LKR 720
$9.50 SGD 12.17
-77.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 LKR 992
$9.86 SGD 12.63
-69.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 LKR 546
$3.02 SGD 3.87
-45.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 LKR 190
$2.67 SGD 3.42
-78.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 268
$2.77 SGD 3.54
-70.76%
Eggs
$1.64 LKR 547
$3.72 SGD 4.77
-55.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.40 LKR 5,120
$21.01 SGD 26.92
-26.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.11 LKR 1,700
$9.95 SGD 12.75
-48.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.40 LKR 2,461
$25.13 SGD 32.20
-70.55%
Apples (1kg)
$6.43 LKR 2,140
$4.59 SGD 5.88
40.09%
Banana (1kg)
$0.82 LKR 272
$3.09 SGD 3.96
-73.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.22 LKR 1,404
$4.64 SGD 5.95
-9.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 LKR 437
$2.18 SGD 2.79
-39.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 LKR 348
$2.33 SGD 2.99
-54.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 271
$2.31 SGD 2.96
-64.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 LKR 416
$1.86 SGD 2.39
-32.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 LKR 151
$1.55 SGD 1.98
-70.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.31 LKR 3,427
$14.11 SGD 18.08
-26.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.53 LKR 4,498
$23.24 SGD 29.78
-41.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 LKR 648
$4.73 SGD 6.06
-58.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 LKR 947
$4.79 SGD 6.14
-40.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Galle
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 LKR 52.4
$1.53 SGD 1.96
-89.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$96.5 SGD 124
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 LKR 95.8
$3.58 SGD 4.59
-91.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 LKR 104
$0.76 SGD 0.97
-59.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 LKR 290
$16.98 SGD 21.75
-94.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 LKR 441
$2.46 SGD 3.15
-45.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.8K LKR 14.2M
$159.4K SGD 204.2K
-73.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.8K LKR 15.2M
$155.7K SGD 199.5K
-70.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.2 LKR 18.7K
$168 SGD 215
-66.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 LKR 1,360
$12.24 SGD 15.68
-66.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.08 LKR 7,009
$28.18 SGD 36.11
-25.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$111 SGD 142
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.60 SGD 14.86
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.64 LKR 1,545
$12.24 SGD 15.68
-62.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$39.64 LKR 13.2K
$1,899 SGD 2,433
-97.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.3K LKR 5.8M
$39.1K SGD 50.1K
-55.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.17 LKR 6,040
$79.6 SGD 102
-77.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.46 LKR 5,808
$50.7 SGD 65.0
-65.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 LKR 25.8K
$112 SGD 143
-30.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.00 LKR 14.0K
$125 SGD 160
-66.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Galle
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,191 SGD 4,089
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,257 SGD 2,892
-
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
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Galle
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$316 LKR 105.1K
$4,526 SGD 5,799
-93.02%
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 Galle: November 2, 2026

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Galle
$244
Singapore
$459 88.1% $215
Eating Out
Galle
$103
Singapore
$260 152% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galle
$81
Singapore
$208 156% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Galle
$70
Singapore
$165 136% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Galle
$9.3 *
Singapore
$135 1354% $126
Getting Around
Galle
$2.5 *
Singapore
$110 4334% $107
Accommodation & Living
Galle
- *
Singapore
$2.3K

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

Cost Breakdown

Singapore pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

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

Good to know
🇱🇰 Galle
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
06:06 6:06 AM
08:36 8:36 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Galle
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,000
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 7, 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Galle Singapore 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Galle
  • 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
Galle vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Galle cheaper than Singapore?
Galle is about 86% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Galle or Singapore?
On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Galle. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $40 in Galle versus $1,899 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Galle or in Singapore?
Dining out is cheaper in Galle – a meal for two runs $25 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Galle or in Singapore?
At $510 in Galle versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Galle but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Galle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Galle or in Singapore?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Galle wins on affordability, Singapore on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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