Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $405 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $38,300 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
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Negombo Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Negombo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $405 in Negombo.

Singapore $3,594
Negombo $405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $650 in Negombo.

Singapore $5,314
Negombo $650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $895 in Negombo.

Singapore $7,033
Negombo $895

Living in Singapore is roughly 788% more expensive than in Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Negombo is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$3.90 LKR 1,298

196.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$14.85 LKR 4,939

375.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$7.44 LKR 2,473

13.71%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$1.47 LKR 488

252.38%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.63 LKR 209

192.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.27 LKR 89.8

355.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$2.19 LKR 728

333.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.03 LKR 1,009

225.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$1.62 LKR 540

86.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.58 LKR 192

360.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.81 LKR 270

241.98%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.69 LKR 563

120.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$15.17 LKR 5,045

38.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$4.29 LKR 1,426

131.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

$5.98 LKR 1,989

320.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$1.86 LKR 618

146.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.64 LKR 212

382.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$2.19 LKR 730

111.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$1.15 LKR 383

89.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.73 LKR 243

219.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.79 LKR 261

192.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.94 LKR 311

97.87%

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

$10.12 LKR 3,367

39.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$13.40 LKR 4,456

73.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.98 LKR 657

138.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.87 LKR 955

66.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.29 LKR 96.0

427.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.40 LKR 134

795.00%

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

$0.93 LKR 310

1725.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$0.99 LKR 329

148.48%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$43.0K LKR 14.3M

270.53%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$46.5K LKR 15.5M

234.64%

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

$168 SGD 215

$25.87 LKR 8,601

549.17%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.24 LKR 1,410

188.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$20.84 LKR 6,929

35.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$15.24 LKR 5,067

625.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$8.93 LKR 2,969

29.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$2.39 LKR 795

412.13%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$40.29 LKR 13.4K

4612.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$445 LKR 148.0K

8688.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$8.91 LKR 2,964

793.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$17.26 LKR 5,741

193.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$36.08 LKR 12.0K

209.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$23.91 LKR 7,952

420.87%

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

$180 LKR 60.0K

2407.92%

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 Negombo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Negombo

$200 49.4% 56.5% $259

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Negombo

$92 22.7% 64.7% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Negombo

$51 12.6% 75.6% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Negombo

$39 9.6% 76.5% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Negombo

$20 5% 85.2% $115

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Negombo

$3.2 * 0.8% 97.1% $107

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

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 $15 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $200 per month, with Negombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

142,449

💱 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 6, 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 6, 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 Negombo 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Negombo 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.

Childcare runs $1,899 in Singapore versus $40 in Negombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negombo – a meal for two runs $15 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $405 in Negombo versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo 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 Negombo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Negombo wins on affordability, Singapore on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.