Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Amparai: $512 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.

Singapore, Singapore
Amparai, Sri Lanka
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,594
/mo nomad
Amparai
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$512
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Amparai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $512 in Amparai.

  • Singapore $3,594
  • Amparai $512

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $831 in Amparai.

  • Singapore $5,314
  • Amparai $831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $1,150 in Amparai.

  • Singapore $7,033
  • Amparai $1,150

Living in Singapore is roughly 602% more expensive than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.58 SGD 14.84
$3.87 LKR 1,288
199.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.7 SGD 90.5
$25.06 LKR 8,333
181.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.46 SGD 10.84
$7.68 LKR 2,555
10.16%
Cappuccino
$5.18 SGD 6.64
$2.55 LKR 849
103.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 SGD 2.36
$0.69 LKR 228
166.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.27 LKR 90.1
355.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.50 SGD 12.17
$2.18 LKR 724
335.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.86 SGD 12.63
$3.06 LKR 1,017
222.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.02 SGD 3.87
$1.57 LKR 523
92.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 SGD 3.42
$0.53 LKR 177
403.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.77 SGD 3.54
$0.75 LKR 249
269.33%
Eggs
$3.72 SGD 4.77
$1.69 LKR 561
120.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.01 SGD 26.92
$15.22 LKR 5,060
38.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.95 SGD 12.75
$4.92 LKR 1,636
102.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.13 SGD 32.20
$7.64 LKR 2,542
228.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.59 SGD 5.88
$6.60 LKR 2,196
-30.45%
Banana (1kg)
$3.09 SGD 3.96
$0.81 LKR 271
281.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.64 SGD 5.95
$4.32 LKR 1,438
7.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 SGD 2.79
$1.27 LKR 421
71.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.33 SGD 2.99
$1.08 LKR 359
115.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 SGD 2.96
$0.81 LKR 271
185.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$1.22 LKR 405
52.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 SGD 1.98
$0.46 LKR 153
236.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 SGD 18.08
$10.33 LKR 3,436
36.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.24 SGD 29.78
$13.30 LKR 4,423
74.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.73 SGD 6.06
$1.93 LKR 642
145.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 SGD 6.14
$2.86 LKR 950
67.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 SGD 1.96
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.5 SGD 124
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.58 SGD 4.59
$0.38 LKR 126
842.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$0.34 LKR 112
123.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.98 SGD 21.75
$0.93 LKR 308
1725.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 SGD 3.15
$1.33 LKR 441
84.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$159.4K SGD 204.2K
$43.1K LKR 14.3M
269.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$155.7K SGD 199.5K
$44.7K LKR 14.9M
247.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 SGD 215
$57.6 LKR 19.2K
191.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.24 SGD 15.68
$4.33 LKR 1,438
182.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.18 SGD 36.11
$20.89 LKR 6,947
34.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$111 SGD 142
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.60 SGD 14.86
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.24 SGD 15.68
$4.59 LKR 1,526
166.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,899 SGD 2,433
$40.68 LKR 13.5K
4567.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.1K SGD 50.1K
$17.1K LKR 5.7M
129.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.6 SGD 102
$18.39 LKR 6,116
333.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 SGD 65.0
$17.14 LKR 5,700
195.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$78.6 LKR 26.1K
42.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 SGD 160
$41.35 LKR 13.8K
201.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Amparai
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
Singapore
Amparai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,526 SGD 5,799
$89.7 LKR 29.8K
4943.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
12.5
-80.48%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Amparai: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.3K
Amparai
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$459
Amparai
$243 47.2% $217
Eating Out
Singapore
$260
Amparai
$106 59.4% $154
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$208
Amparai
$83 60.2% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$165
Amparai
$70 57.6% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$135
Amparai
$9.2 * 93.2% $126
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Amparai
$2.1 * 98.1% $108

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

Cost Breakdown

Singapore pays about 50 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $25 in Amparai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $243 per month, with Amparai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇱🇰 Amparai
🕒 Local time
08:04 8:04 AM
05:34 5:34 AM
2 h 30 min behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
110,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Amparai 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Amparai

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
Singapore vs Amparai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amparai cheaper than Singapore?
Amparai 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: Singapore or Amparai?
Average pay in Singapore is about 50 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,899 in Singapore versus $41 in Amparai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Singapore or in Amparai?
Dining out is cheaper in Amparai – 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 Singapore or in Amparai?
At $512 in Amparai versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Amparai but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Amparai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Amparai wins on affordability, Singapore on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Singapore vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?