Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kandana

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandana: $509 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,000 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kandana
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Kandana Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Kandana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kandana

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

A single person spends $3,594 per month in Singapore vs $509 in Kandana, rent included.

Singapore $3,594
Kandana $509

A couple spends around $5,314 per month in Singapore vs $827 in Kandana, rent included.

Singapore $5,314
Kandana $827

A family of three spends $7,033 per month in Singapore vs $1,145 in Kandana, rent included.

Singapore $7,033
Kandana $1,145

Singapore costs about 606% more than Kandana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 166% above the global median, while Kandana is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$3.76 LKR 1,251

207.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$25.18 LKR 8,375

180.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$7.45 LKR 2,476

13.56%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$2.43 LKR 808

113.17%

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

$0.27 LKR 90.6

355.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$2.18 LKR 725

335.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.08 LKR 1,024

220.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$1.58 LKR 526

91.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.54 LKR 178

394.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.75 LKR 248

269.33%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.65 LKR 548

125.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$15.19 LKR 5,050

38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$4.88 LKR 1,622

103.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

$7.76 LKR 2,580

223.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$6.73 LKR 2,238

-31.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.82 LKR 273

276.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$4.11 LKR 1,368

12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$1.28 LKR 426

70.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$1.03 LKR 343

126.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.82 LKR 271

181.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$1.24 LKR 413

50.00%

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

$10.16 LKR 3,377

38.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$13.42 LKR 4,463

73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.87 LKR 623

152.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.97 LKR 988

61.28%

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 4.59

$0.38 LKR 126

842.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.33 LKR 111

130.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$0.86 LKR 287

1874.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.37 LKR 457

79.56%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

260.77%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$45.5K LKR 15.1M

242.05%

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

$168 SGD 215

$57.5 LKR 19.1K

192.32%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.30 LKR 1,430

184.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$20.55 LKR 6,834

37.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.45 LKR 1,480

175.06%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$40.32 LKR 13.4K

4609.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

127.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$18.24 LKR 6,064

336.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$17.49 LKR 5,816

189.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$79.9 LKR 26.6K

39.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$40.94 LKR 13.6K

204.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

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 Kandana: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Kandana

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Kandana

$243 47.7% 47.2% $217

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Kandana

$103 20.2% 60.5% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Kandana

$82 16.2% 60.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Kandana

$70 13.8% 57.3% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Kandana

$8.9 * 1.8% 93.4% $126

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Kandana

$2.1 * 0.4% 98.1% $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 $25 in Kandana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $243 – making Kandana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇱🇰 Kandana

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

15,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Kandana 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kandana

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 Kandana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 606%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,392 per month in Singapore and $764 in Kandana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,594 in Singapore and $509 in Kandana. That makes Kandana about 86% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,899 per month in Singapore and $40 in Kandana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandana, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Singapore at $3,594. In Kandana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kandana has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $509 in Kandana to $3,594 in Singapore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.