Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: $491 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore, Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,594
/mo nomad
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$491
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,594 per month in Singapore vs $491 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

  • Singapore $3,594
  • Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $491

A couple spends around $5,314 per month in Singapore vs $795 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

  • Singapore $5,314
  • Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $795

A family of three spends $7,033 per month in Singapore vs $1,100 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

  • Singapore $7,033
  • Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,100

Singapore costs about 632% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 166% above the global median, while Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.58 SGD 14.85
$1.47 LKR 488
687.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.7 SGD 90.6
$24.34 LKR 8,095
190.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.46 SGD 10.85
$7.55 LKR 2,511
12.05%
Cappuccino
$5.18 SGD 6.65
$2.52 LKR 837
105.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 SGD 2.36
$0.72 LKR 238
155.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.25 LKR 82.2
392.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.50 SGD 12.18
$2.16 LKR 718
339.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.86 SGD 12.65
$3.09 LKR 1,026
219.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.02 SGD 3.87
$1.58 LKR 524
91.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 SGD 3.42
$0.53 LKR 175
403.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.77 SGD 3.55
$0.82 LKR 272
237.80%
Eggs
$3.72 SGD 4.77
$1.65 LKR 550
125.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.01 SGD 26.94
$15.22 LKR 5,061
38.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.95 SGD 12.76
$4.86 LKR 1,616
104.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.13 SGD 32.23
$7.69 LKR 2,559
226.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.59 SGD 5.89
$6.73 LKR 2,238
-31.80%
Banana (1kg)
$3.09 SGD 3.96
$0.82 LKR 272
276.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.64 SGD 5.95
$4.08 LKR 1,357
13.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 SGD 2.79
$1.34 LKR 445
62.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.33 SGD 2.99
$1.04 LKR 345
124.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 SGD 2.97
$0.82 LKR 273
181.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$1.21 LKR 401
53.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 SGD 1.98
$0.42 LKR 141
269.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 SGD 18.10
$10.40 LKR 3,460
35.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.24 SGD 29.81
$13.45 LKR 4,472
72.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.73 SGD 6.07
$1.91 LKR 635
147.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 SGD 6.14
$2.87 LKR 955
66.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
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 4.60
$0.38 LKR 125
842.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.98
$0.33 LKR 110
130.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.98 SGD 21.77
$0.94 LKR 311
1706.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 SGD 3.15
$1.32 LKR 437
86.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$159.4K SGD 204.4K
$42.9K LKR 14.3M
271.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$155.7K SGD 199.7K
$45.8K LKR 15.2M
239.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 SGD 215
$58.0 LKR 19.3K
189.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.24 SGD 15.69
$4.26 LKR 1,418
187.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.18 SGD 36.14
$20.55 LKR 6,833
37.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$111 SGD 142
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.60 SGD 14.88
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.24 SGD 15.70
$4.40 LKR 1,463
178.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,899 SGD 2,435
$40.73 LKR 13.5K
4561.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.1K SGD 50.2K
$17.1K LKR 5.7M
128.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.6 SGD 102
$18.26 LKR 6,073
336.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 SGD 65.0
$17.08 LKR 5,680
196.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$78.6 LKR 26.1K
42.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 SGD 160
$40.86 LKR 13.6K
204.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,191 SGD 4,093
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,257 SGD 2,895
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$6,173 SGD 7,917
$451 LKR 149.8K
1269.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,035 SGD 5,175
-
-
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
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,526 SGD 5,804
-
-
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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.3K
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$459
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
$242 47.2% $217
Eating Out
Singapore
$260
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
$85 67.1% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$208
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
$83 60.3% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$165
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
$70 57.8% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$135
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
$8.8 * 93.5% $126
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
$2 * 98.2% $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 $71 in Singapore versus $24 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $242 – making Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
🕒 Local time
18:50 6:50 PM
16:20 4:20 PM
2 h 30 min behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
219,827
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.699 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Singapore or Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
Singapore costs about 632% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Singapore and in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,392 per month in Singapore and $737 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Singapore and in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Singapore and $24 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Singapore or in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
Groceries cost about 89% more in Singapore, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Singapore or in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, where all-in costs run around $491, than in Singapore at $3,594. In Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Singapore or Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
It depends on your priorities. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $491 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia to $3,594 in Singapore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Singapore compared to Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?
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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