Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Katunayaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $506 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore, Singapore
Katunayaka, Sri Lanka
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,544
/mo nomad
Katunayaka
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$506
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Katunayaka

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

A single person spends $3,544 per month in Singapore vs $506 in Katunayaka, rent included.

  • Singapore $3,544
  • Katunayaka $506

A couple spends around $5,318 per month in Singapore vs $822 in Katunayaka, rent included.

  • Singapore $5,318
  • Katunayaka $822

A family of three spends $7,093 per month in Singapore vs $1,138 in Katunayaka, rent included.

  • Singapore $7,093
  • Katunayaka $1,138

Singapore costs about 601% more than Katunayaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 160% above the global median, while Katunayaka is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 SGD 14.88
$3.84 LKR 1,278
202.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.4 SGD 95.4
$25.36 LKR 8,429
193.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.35 SGD 10.69
$7.49 LKR 2,491
11.48%
Cappuccino
$5.24 SGD 6.71
$2.55 LKR 848
105.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 SGD 2.34
$0.71 LKR 236
157.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 SGD 1.64
$0.27 LKR 89.9
374.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.33 SGD 10.68
$2.19 LKR 727
280.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.99 SGD 12.79
$3.08 LKR 1,023
224.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.99 SGD 3.82
$1.64 LKR 544
82.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 SGD 3.31
$0.57 LKR 190
352.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.77 SGD 3.55
$0.76 LKR 254
264.47%
Eggs
$3.76 SGD 4.81
$1.72 LKR 573
118.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.85 SGD 26.71
$13.55 LKR 4,503
53.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.01 SGD 12.82
$4.89 LKR 1,627
104.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.28 SGD 32.38
$7.46 LKR 2,481
238.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.52 SGD 5.79
$6.50 LKR 2,162
-30.46%
Banana (1kg)
$3.19 SGD 4.09
$0.84 LKR 281
279.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$4.40 LKR 1,464
3.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 SGD 2.77
$1.29 LKR 428
68.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.48 SGD 3.18
$0.99 LKR 329
150.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 SGD 2.99
$0.76 LKR 253
206.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 SGD 2.44
$0.95 LKR 316
101.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SGD 1.85
$0.45 LKR 151
222.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.85 SGD 17.74
$10.25 LKR 3,409
35.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.38 SGD 29.95
$12.79 LKR 4,251
82.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.69 SGD 6.01
$1.91 LKR 636
145.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 SGD 6.15
$2.95 LKR 979
62.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 SGD 1.94
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.6 SGD 124
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.71 SGD 4.76
$0.41 LKR 135
804.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 SGD 1.03
$0.37 LKR 123
118.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.41 SGD 21.03
$0.93 LKR 310
1664.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.53 SGD 3.24
$1.40 LKR 464
80.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$156.9K SGD 201.0K
$44.7K LKR 14.8M
251.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$154.6K SGD 198.0K
$40.9K LKR 13.6M
277.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 SGD 218
$58.3 LKR 19.4K
191.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.88
$4.33 LKR 1,441
186.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.02 SGD 35.90
$21.11 LKR 7,019
32.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$111 SGD 143
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.09 SGD 15.48
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.21 SGD 15.64
$4.40 LKR 1,462
177.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,878 SGD 2,406
$38.35 LKR 12.8K
4796.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.1K SGD 37.3K
$1,203 LKR 399.9K
2320.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.8 SGD 98.4
$18.46 LKR 6,138
315.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 SGD 66.0
$16.89 LKR 5,616
205.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 SGD 137
$79.4 LKR 26.4K
35.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 SGD 158
$41.36 LKR 13.7K
197.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,098 SGD 3,969
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,213 SGD 2,835
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,983 SGD 7,665
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,088 SGD 5,236
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.1K SGD 29.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.7K SGD 21.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Katunayaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,464 SGD 5,719
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
12.69
-80.77%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Katunayaka: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Katunayaka
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Katunayaka
$236 48.5% $222
Eating Out
Singapore
$255
Katunayaka
$105 58.9% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Katunayaka
$84 60.2% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$161
Katunayaka
$70 56.5% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$136
Katunayaka
$8.8 * 93.5% $127
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Katunayaka
$2.3 * 98% $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 $74 in Singapore versus $25 in Katunayaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $236 – making Katunayaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇱🇰 Katunayaka
🕒 Local time
09:20 9:20 AM
06:50 6:50 AM
2 h 30 min behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
84,643
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Katunayaka 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Katunayaka cheaper than Singapore?
Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 601%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,316 per month in Singapore and $759 in Katunayaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Singapore and in Katunayaka?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,544 in Singapore and $506 in Katunayaka. That makes Katunayaka about 86% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,878 per month in Singapore and $38 in Katunayaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Singapore or in Katunayaka?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Katunayaka, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Singapore at $3,544. In Katunayaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Singapore or in Katunayaka?
It depends on your priorities. Katunayaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Katunayaka to $3,544 in Singapore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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