Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Bentota

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.

171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Bentota

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 Bentota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Singapore $3,594
Bentota $777

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

Singapore $5,314
Bentota $896

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

Singapore $7,033
Bentota $1,014

Living in Singapore is roughly 362% more expensive than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$3.78 LKR 1,257

206.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$12.00 LKR 3,991

488.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$7.36 LKR 2,447

14.95%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$2.47 LKR 822

109.72%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.71 LKR 236

159.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.25 LKR 83.0

392.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$2.19 LKR 728

333.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.10 LKR 1,030

218.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$1.57 LKR 523

92.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.52 LKR 174

413.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.80 LKR 267

246.25%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.65 LKR 549

125.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$15.18 LKR 5,047

38.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$3.36 LKR 1,119

196.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

$4.47 LKR 1,488

462.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$6.76 LKR 2,247

-32.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.76 LKR 254

306.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$4.08 LKR 1,356

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.86 LKR 287

153.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$1.07 LKR 357

117.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.82 LKR 274

181.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$1.21 LKR 402

53.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.42 LKR 139

269.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$10.06 LKR 3,347

40.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$13.69 LKR 4,552

69.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.90 LKR 630

148.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.87 LKR 956

66.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.19 LKR 62.4

705.26%

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

$0.29 LKR 96.3

162.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$0.93 LKR 308

1725.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.39 LKR 461

76.98%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

261.87%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$45.0K LKR 15.0M

246.10%

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

$168 SGD 215

$57.4 LKR 19.1K

192.83%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$2.32 LKR 770

427.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$8.88 LKR 2,952

217.34%

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 1,525

166.67%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$40.65 LKR 13.5K

4570.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

124.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$18.34 LKR 6,100

334.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$17.33 LKR 5,761

192.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

43.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$41.51 LKR 13.8K

200.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$546 LKR 181.6K

484.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$302 LKR 100.3K

648.09%

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 %)

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 Bentota: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Bentota

$302 38.8% 86.6% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Bentota

$223 28.7% 51.5% $236

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Bentota

$103 13.2% 60.4% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Bentota

$69 8.8% 67.1% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Bentota

$70 9% 57.8% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Bentota

$9.2 * 1.2% 93.2% $126

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Bentota

$2.6 * 0.3% 97.7% $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 $3,191 in Singapore and $546 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

00:31 12:31 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

37,000

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Singapore Bentota 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Bentota

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 Bentota: 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 $5,392 in Singapore and $1,166 in Bentota 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: $3,191 in Singapore versus $546 in Bentota. 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 $3,594 per month in Singapore versus $777 in Bentota – 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.