Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Dambulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Dambulla: $505 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore, Singapore
Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,544
/mo nomad
Dambulla
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$505
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Dambulla

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

A single person spends $3,544 per month in Singapore vs $505 in Dambulla, rent included.

  • Singapore $3,544
  • Dambulla $505

A couple spends around $5,318 per month in Singapore vs $818 in Dambulla, rent included.

  • Singapore $5,318
  • Dambulla $818

A family of three spends $7,093 per month in Singapore vs $1,131 in Dambulla, rent included.

  • Singapore $7,093
  • Dambulla $1,131

Singapore costs about 602% more than Dambulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 160% above the global median, while Dambulla is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 SGD 14.90
$3.85 LKR 1,281
201.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.4 SGD 95.4
$25.00 LKR 8,311
197.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.35 SGD 10.70
$7.66 LKR 2,546
9.01%
Cappuccino
$5.24 SGD 6.71
$2.47 LKR 821
112.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 SGD 2.34
$0.67 LKR 224
173.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 SGD 1.64
$0.27 LKR 89.9
374.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.33 SGD 10.68
$2.27 LKR 753
266.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.99 SGD 12.80
$2.93 LKR 975
240.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.99 SGD 3.83
$1.63 LKR 543
83.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 SGD 3.31
$0.56 LKR 188
360.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.77 SGD 3.55
$0.77 LKR 254
259.74%
Eggs
$3.76 SGD 4.82
$1.63 LKR 542
130.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.85 SGD 26.73
$13.55 LKR 4,504
53.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.01 SGD 12.83
$4.92 LKR 1,635
103.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.28 SGD 32.41
$7.30 LKR 2,428
246.30%
Apples (1kg)
$4.52 SGD 5.79
$6.47 LKR 2,152
-30.14%
Banana (1kg)
$3.19 SGD 4.09
$0.87 LKR 289
266.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.86
$4.33 LKR 1,441
5.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 SGD 2.78
$1.32 LKR 440
64.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.48 SGD 3.18
$1.01 LKR 336
145.54%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 SGD 2.99
$0.79 LKR 262
194.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 SGD 2.44
$0.87 LKR 289
119.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SGD 1.85
$0.43 LKR 142
237.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.85 SGD 17.76
$10.35 LKR 3,440
33.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.38 SGD 29.97
$12.67 LKR 4,214
84.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.69 SGD 6.02
$1.89 LKR 627
148.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 SGD 6.16
$2.93 LKR 974
63.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 SGD 1.95
$0.07 LKR 23.76
2071.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.6 SGD 124
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.71 SGD 4.76
$0.38 LKR 126
876.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 SGD 1.03
$0.38 LKR 125
113.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.41 SGD 21.04
$0.87 LKR 289
1786.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.53 SGD 3.25
$1.37 LKR 456
84.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$156.9K SGD 201.2K
$43.7K LKR 14.5M
258.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$154.6K SGD 198.2K
$41.0K LKR 13.6M
277.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 SGD 218
$59.8 LKR 19.9K
184.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.89
$4.30 LKR 1,431
188.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.02 SGD 35.92
$20.98 LKR 6,976
33.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$111 SGD 143
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.09 SGD 15.50
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.21 SGD 15.65
$4.57 LKR 1,520
167.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,878 SGD 2,408
$37.27 LKR 12.4K
4938.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.1K SGD 37.3K
$1,199 LKR 398.5K
2329.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.8 SGD 98.5
$18.35 LKR 6,102
318.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 SGD 66.1
$16.43 LKR 5,462
213.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 SGD 138
$78.1 LKR 26.0K
37.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 SGD 158
$41.03 LKR 13.6K
200.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,098 SGD 3,972
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,213 SGD 2,837
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,983 SGD 7,671
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,088 SGD 5,241
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.1K SGD 29.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.7K SGD 21.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Dambulla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,464 SGD 5,724
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
12.69
-80.77%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Dambulla
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Dambulla
$234 48.9% $224
Eating Out
Singapore
$255
Dambulla
$104 59% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Dambulla
$85 59.5% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$161
Dambulla
$69 57.1% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$136
Dambulla
$9.2 * 93.3% $127
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Dambulla
$2.5 * 97.7% $108

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Singapore versus $25 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $234 – making Dambulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇱🇰 Dambulla
🕒 Local time
05:49 5:49 AM
03:19 3:19 AM
2 h 30 min behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
68,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Dambulla 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Dambulla

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 Dambulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Singapore and in Dambulla compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,544 in Singapore, $505 in Dambulla – Dambulla comes out roughly 86% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Dambulla?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,316 per month in Singapore and $757 in Dambulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Singapore and $25 in Dambulla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 96% more in Singapore, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Dambulla, where all-in costs run around $505, than in Singapore at $3,544. In Dambulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Singapore and Dambulla?
It depends on your priorities. Singapore has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $505 in Dambulla to $3,544 in Singapore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Singapore or Dambulla safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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