Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kandy

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
Learn more

Kandy Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,544

/mo nomad

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kandy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,544 in Singapore versus $513 in Kandy.

Singapore $3,544
Kandy $513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,318 in Singapore versus $728 in Kandy.

Singapore $5,318
Kandy $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,093 in Singapore versus $943 in Kandy.

Singapore $7,093
Kandy $943

Living in Singapore is roughly 591% more expensive than in Kandy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 160% above, Kandy is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 SGD 14.90

$2.66 LKR 885

336.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 SGD 95.4

$13.01 LKR 4,324

472.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 SGD 10.70

$6.00 LKR 1,996

39.17%

Cappuccino

$5.24 SGD 6.71

$1.90 LKR 632

175.79%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$0.52 LKR 174

251.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 SGD 1.64

$0.26 LKR 87.1

392.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 SGD 10.68

$1.86 LKR 620

347.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 SGD 12.80

$2.80 LKR 931

256.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 SGD 3.83

$1.15 LKR 382

160.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 SGD 3.31

$0.52 LKR 174

396.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.55

$0.77 LKR 255

259.74%

Eggs

$3.76 SGD 4.82

$1.71 LKR 568

119.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.85 SGD 26.73

$5.14 LKR 1,708

305.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 SGD 12.83

$4.25 LKR 1,412

135.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.28 SGD 32.41

$6.87 LKR 2,285

267.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 SGD 5.79

$3.14 LKR 1,043

43.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 SGD 4.09

$0.84 LKR 280

279.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$1.73 LKR 574

164.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 SGD 2.78

$1.29 LKR 429

68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 SGD 3.18

$1.02 LKR 339

143.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.83 LKR 277

180.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 SGD 2.44

$0.43 LKR 144

344.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SGD 1.85

$0.42 LKR 140

245.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 SGD 17.76

$8.02 LKR 2,668

72.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 SGD 29.97

$11.28 LKR 3,751

107.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 SGD 6.02

$1.93 LKR 643

143.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 SGD 6.16

$2.08 LKR 691

130.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 SGD 1.95

$0.16 LKR 53.3

850.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 SGD 124

$4.38 LKR 1,457

2106.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 SGD 4.76

$0.41 LKR 136

804.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 SGD 1.03

$0.35 LKR 116

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.41 SGD 21.04

$0.47 LKR 156

3391.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 SGD 3.25

$1.15 LKR 383

120.00%

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

$156.9K SGD 201.2K

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

1022.73%

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

$154.6K SGD 198.2K

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

320.62%

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

$170 SGD 218

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

187.80%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.89

$3.86 LKR 1,282

220.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.02 SGD 35.92

$12.72 LKR 4,227

120.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 143

$10.85 LKR 3,606

926.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 SGD 15.50

$6.80 LKR 2,262

77.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 SGD 15.65

$2.74 LKR 909

345.62%

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

$1,878 SGD 2,408

$21.65 LKR 7,199

8573.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K SGD 37.3K

$304 LKR 101.0K

9487.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 SGD 98.5

$18.28 LKR 6,078

320.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 SGD 66.1

$10.15 LKR 3,375

407.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SGD 138

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

58.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SGD 158

$26.56 LKR 8,831

363.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 SGD 3,972

$172 LKR 57.2K

1701.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 SGD 2,837

$113 LKR 37.5K

1860.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,983 SGD 7,671

$172 LKR 57.2K

3376.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,088 SGD 5,241

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

4266.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K SGD 29.6K

$397 LKR 131.9K

5724.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.7K SGD 21.4K

$400 LKR 133.0K

4073.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,464 SGD 5,724

$262 LKR 86.9K

1607.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

-79.67%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62.5%

Kandy

$113 22% 94.9% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 12.9%

Kandy

$166 32.3% 63.8% $292

Eating Out

Singapore

$255 7.2%

Kandy

$80 15.6% 68.5% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 5.9%

Kandy

$76 14.7% 64% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$161 4.6%

Kandy

$55 10.8% 65.8% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$136 3.8%

Kandy

$16 3.2% 88% $120

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Kandy

$7.2 1.4% 93.5% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,098 in Singapore and $172 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Singapore vs $13 in Kandy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $166 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇱🇰 Kandy

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

03:18 3:18 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

125,000

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 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).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Kandy 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kandy

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 Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy is about 86% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Singapore is about 17 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,098 in Singapore versus $172 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,544 per month in Singapore versus $513 in Kandy – Kandy is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 95% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $513 in Kandy versus $3,544 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kandy but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kandy 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 Kandy are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.