Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kegalle

For one person, living is cheaper in Kegalle: $601 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $35,900 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 Kegalle
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Kegalle Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Kegalle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kegalle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $601 in Kegalle.

Singapore $3,594
Kegalle $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $876 in Kegalle.

Singapore $5,314
Kegalle $876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $1,151 in Kegalle.

Singapore $7,033
Kegalle $1,151

Living in Singapore is roughly 498% more expensive than in Kegalle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Kegalle is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.85

$3.10 LKR 1,031

273.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.6

$24.26 LKR 8,068

191.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.85

$7.32 LKR 2,436

15.57%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.65

$2.55 LKR 847

103.14%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.47 LKR 156

291.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.25 LKR 82.4

392.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.18

$2.14 LKR 713

343.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.65

$3.09 LKR 1,029

219.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$1.65 LKR 548

83.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.47 LKR 155

468.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.55

$0.68 LKR 227

307.35%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.67 LKR 555

122.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.94

$15.22 LKR 5,062

38.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.76

$4.88 LKR 1,622

103.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.23

$7.73 LKR 2,571

225.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.89

$6.06 LKR 2,014

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.88 LKR 294

251.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$4.17 LKR 1,386

11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$1.21 LKR 403

80.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.92 LKR 305

153.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.97

$0.82 LKR 274

181.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.38 LKR 125

389.47%

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

$9.81 LKR 3,264

43.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.81

$13.80 LKR 4,590

68.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.07

$1.97 LKR 654

140.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.68 LKR 892

78.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.59 LKR 195

159.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$7.33 LKR 2,439

1215.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.60

$0.35 LKR 115

922.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.98

$0.31 LKR 103

145.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.77

$0.92 LKR 307

1745.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.38 LKR 458

78.26%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.4K

$43.2K LKR 14.4M

268.54%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.7K

$35.4K LKR 11.8M

339.55%

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

$168 SGD 215

$57.2 LKR 19.0K

193.65%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.69

$4.32 LKR 1,438

183.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.14

$21.06 LKR 7,003

33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$19.40 LKR 6,452

470.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.88

$14.94 LKR 4,967

-22.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.70

$4.57 LKR 1,521

167.83%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,435

$40.04 LKR 13.3K

4642.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.2K

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

128.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$17.76 LKR 5,907

348.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$15.22 LKR 5,062

233.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$44.38 LKR 14.8K

151.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$41.55 LKR 13.8K

199.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,093

$122 LKR 40.7K

2509.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,895

$91.5 LKR 30.4K

2367.99%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,804

$178 LKR 59.1K

2447.73%

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 Kegalle: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Kegalle

$91 15.2% 95.9% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Kegalle

$236 39.3% 48.6% $223

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Kegalle

$97 16.2% 62.6% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Kegalle

$83 13.8% 60.4% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Kegalle

$54 8.9% 67.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Kegalle

$29 4.8% 78.9% $107

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Kegalle

$12 1.9% 89.5% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $122 in Kegalle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 25 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $24 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $236 per month, with Kegalle cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇱🇰 Kegalle

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

06:47 6:47 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

17,900

💱 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 Kegalle 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kegalle

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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay in Singapore is about 25 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: $3,191 in Singapore versus $122 in Kegalle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $24 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,594 per month in Singapore versus $601 in Kegalle – Kegalle is about 83% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $601 in Kegalle versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kegalle is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Singapore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Kegalle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.