Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $612 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $35,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
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Kalutara Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kalutara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $612 in Kalutara.

Singapore $3,594
Kalutara $612

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

Singapore $5,314
Kalutara $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $1,179 in Kalutara.

Singapore $7,033
Kalutara $1,179

Living in Singapore is roughly 487% more expensive than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Kalutara is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$3.86 LKR 1,285

200.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$24.82 LKR 8,252

184.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$7.38 LKR 2,453

14.63%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$2.43 LKR 807

113.17%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.68 LKR 228

170.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.25 LKR 82.5

392.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$2.26 LKR 752

320.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$2.98 LKR 991

230.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$1.62 LKR 537

86.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.54 LKR 179

394.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.75 LKR 249

269.33%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.68 LKR 560

121.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$15.02 LKR 4,994

39.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$4.98 LKR 1,655

99.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

$7.47 LKR 2,485

236.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$6.67 LKR 2,217

-31.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.87 LKR 290

255.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$4.10 LKR 1,363

13.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$1.33 LKR 441

63.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$1.08 LKR 358

115.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.84 LKR 279

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$1.21 LKR 402

53.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.46 LKR 152

236.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$10.41 LKR 3,460

35.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$13.48 LKR 4,484

72.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.95 LKR 649

142.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.95 LKR 980

62.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.13 LKR 44.22

1076.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$9.00 LKR 2,993

971.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.37 LKR 123

867.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.18 LKR 58.6

322.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$0.94 LKR 313

1706.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.38 LKR 459

78.26%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

259.16%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

247.42%

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

$168 SGD 215

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

195.72%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.19 LKR 1,393

192.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$21.12 LKR 7,024

33.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$9.19 LKR 3,056

1103.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.61 LKR 1,534

165.51%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$40.52 LKR 13.5K

4585.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

129.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$17.99 LKR 5,981

342.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$17.26 LKR 5,740

193.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

43.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$40.87 LKR 13.6K

204.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$85.5 LKR 28.4K

2539.43%

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 Kalutara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Kalutara

$86 14% 96.2% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Kalutara

$243 39.7% 47.1% $216

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Kalutara

$103 16.9% 60.3% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Kalutara

$82 13.4% 60.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Kalutara

$69 11.3% 58% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Kalutara

$18 3% 86.4% $117

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 90.2% $99

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

06:00 6:00 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

39,600

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 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).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Kalutara 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $5,392 in Singapore and $919 in Kalutara 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.

A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 91% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,899 in Singapore versus $41 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $612 in Kalutara versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara 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.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Kalutara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.