Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Gampaha

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $468 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore, Singapore
Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,594
/mo nomad
Gampaha
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$468
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Gampaha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $468 in Gampaha.

  • Singapore $3,594
  • Gampaha $468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $745 in Gampaha.

  • Singapore $5,314
  • Gampaha $745

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $1,023 in Gampaha.

  • Singapore $7,033
  • Gampaha $1,023

Living in Singapore is roughly 669% more expensive than in Gampaha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Gampaha is 65% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Gampaha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.58 SGD 14.85
$1.87 LKR 623
519.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.7 SGD 90.6
$18.38 LKR 6,112
284.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.46 SGD 10.85
$5.35 LKR 1,779
58.13%
Cappuccino
$5.18 SGD 6.65
$1.24 LKR 413
317.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 SGD 2.36
$0.57 LKR 191
222.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.25 LKR 82.7
392.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.50 SGD 12.18
$2.03 LKR 676
367.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.86 SGD 12.65
$3.07 LKR 1,022
221.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Gampaha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.02 SGD 3.87
$1.62 LKR 540
86.42%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 SGD 3.42
$0.41 LKR 135
551.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.77 SGD 3.55
$0.80 LKR 267
246.25%
Eggs
$3.72 SGD 4.77
$1.27 LKR 421
192.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.01 SGD 26.94
$15.51 LKR 5,159
35.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.95 SGD 12.76
$3.98 LKR 1,323
150.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.13 SGD 32.23
$7.62 LKR 2,533
229.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.59 SGD 5.89
$6.69 LKR 2,226
-31.39%
Banana (1kg)
$3.09 SGD 3.96
$0.86 LKR 288
259.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.64 SGD 5.95
$4.13 LKR 1,372
12.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 SGD 2.79
$1.33 LKR 442
63.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.33 SGD 2.99
$1.04 LKR 346
124.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 SGD 2.97
$0.82 LKR 273
181.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$1.22 LKR 404
52.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 SGD 1.98
$0.42 LKR 140
269.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.11 SGD 18.10
$10.14 LKR 3,372
39.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.24 SGD 29.81
$13.68 LKR 4,549
69.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.73 SGD 6.07
$1.97 LKR 655
140.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 SGD 6.14
$2.91 LKR 968
64.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Gampaha
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
$0.37 LKR 124
867.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.98
$0.34 LKR 112
123.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.98 SGD 21.77
$0.88 LKR 293
1829.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 SGD 3.15
$1.10 LKR 367
123.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$159.4K SGD 204.4K
$43.8K LKR 14.6M
263.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$155.7K SGD 199.7K
$46.5K LKR 15.5M
234.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Gampaha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 SGD 215
$58.1 LKR 19.3K
189.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.24 SGD 15.69
$4.15 LKR 1,381
194.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.18 SGD 36.14
$21.00 LKR 6,983
34.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Gampaha
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
$4.55 LKR 1,512
169.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Gampaha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,899 SGD 2,435
$40.59 LKR 13.5K
4577.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.1K SGD 50.2K
$17.2K LKR 5.7M
127.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Gampaha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.6 SGD 102
$17.97 LKR 5,975
343.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 SGD 65.0
$17.54 LKR 5,832
189.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$78.7 LKR 26.2K
41.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 SGD 160
$42.21 LKR 14.0K
195.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Gampaha
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
-
-
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
Gampaha
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 Gampaha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.3K
Gampaha
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$459
Gampaha
$237 48.3% $222
Eating Out
Singapore
$260
Gampaha
$66 74.8% $194
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$208
Gampaha
$83 60.1% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$165
Gampaha
$70 57.3% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$135
Gampaha
$9.1 * 93.3% $126
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Gampaha
$2.1 * 98.1% $108

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $18 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $237 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇱🇰 Gampaha
🕒 Local time
08:06 8:06 AM
05:36 5:36 AM
2 h 30 min behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
20,000
💱 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 Gampaha 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Gampaha

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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Singapore and in Gampaha?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,594 in Singapore and $468 in Gampaha, so Gampaha is about 87% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Gampaha?
You’d need roughly $5,392 in Singapore and $702 in Gampaha 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Singapore and Gampaha?
Childcare runs $1,899 in Singapore versus $41 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $468 in Gampaha versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Singapore and Gampaha?
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.

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