Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $513 in Kandy versus $3,544 in Singapore.

Kandy $513
Singapore $3,544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Kandy versus $5,318 in Singapore.

Kandy $728
Singapore $5,318

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $943 in Kandy versus $7,093 in Singapore.

Kandy $943
Singapore $7,093

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Kandy is 62% below, Singapore is 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$11.62 SGD 14.90

-77.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$74.4 SGD 95.4

-82.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$8.35 SGD 10.70

-28.14%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$5.24 SGD 6.71

-63.74%

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

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-71.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$1.28 SGD 1.64

-79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$8.33 SGD 10.68

-77.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$9.99 SGD 12.80

-71.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$2.99 SGD 3.83

-61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$2.58 SGD 3.31

-79.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$2.77 SGD 3.55

-72.20%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$3.76 SGD 4.82

-54.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$20.85 SGD 26.73

-75.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$10.01 SGD 12.83

-57.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$25.28 SGD 32.41

-72.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$4.52 SGD 5.79

-30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$3.19 SGD 4.09

-73.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-62.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$2.17 SGD 2.78

-40.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$2.48 SGD 3.18

-58.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$2.33 SGD 2.99

-64.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$1.91 SGD 2.44

-77.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$1.45 SGD 1.85

-71.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$13.85 SGD 17.76

-42.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$23.38 SGD 29.97

-51.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$4.69 SGD 6.02

-58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

$4.80 SGD 6.16

-56.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$1.52 SGD 1.95

-89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

$96.6 SGD 124

-95.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$3.71 SGD 4.76

-88.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.81 SGD 1.03

-56.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

$16.41 SGD 21.04

-97.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$2.53 SGD 3.25

-54.55%

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

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

$156.9K SGD 201.2K

-91.09%

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

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$154.6K SGD 198.2K

-76.23%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

$170 SGD 218

-65.25%

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

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$12.39 SGD 15.89

-68.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

$28.02 SGD 35.92

-54.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$111 SGD 143

-90.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

$12.09 SGD 15.50

-43.76%

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$12.21 SGD 15.65

-77.56%

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

$21.65 LKR 7,199

$1,878 SGD 2,408

-98.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

$29.1K SGD 37.3K

-98.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$76.8 SGD 98.5

-76.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$51.5 SGD 66.1

-80.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

$107 SGD 138

-36.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

$123 SGD 158

-78.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$3,098 SGD 3,972

-94.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$2,213 SGD 2,837

-94.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$5,983 SGD 7,671

-97.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$4,088 SGD 5,241

-97.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

$23.1K SGD 29.6K

-98.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

$16.7K SGD 21.4K

-97.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

$4,464 SGD 5,724

-94.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

391.80%

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

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Singapore

$458 12.9% 176% $292

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Singapore

$2.2K 62.5% 1861% $2.1K

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Singapore

$255 7.2% 218% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Singapore

$210 5.9% 178% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Singapore

$161 4.6% 192% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Singapore

$136 3.8% 732% $120

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 1441% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $172 in Kandy and $3,098 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Kandy vs $74 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $458 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kandy Singapore 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kandy
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

Kandy vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy 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.

On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Kandy. 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: $172 in Kandy versus $3,098 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $513 per month in Kandy versus $3,544 in Singapore – Kandy is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 95% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $513 in Kandy versus $3,544 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kandy but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kandy 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.

Safety-wise, Kandy and Singapore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.