Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vavuniya and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vavuniya: $511 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.

Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Singapore, Singapore
Vavuniya
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$511
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vavuniya and in Singapore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vavuniya and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $511 in Vavuniya versus $3,594 in Singapore.

  • Vavuniya $511
  • Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $805 in Vavuniya versus $5,314 in Singapore.

  • Vavuniya $805
  • Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,099 in Vavuniya versus $7,033 in Singapore.

  • Vavuniya $1,099
  • Singapore $7,033

Living in Vavuniya costs roughly 86% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vavuniya is 62% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.87 LKR 1,285
$11.58 SGD 14.84
-66.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.87 LKR 4,943
$70.7 SGD 90.5
-78.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 LKR 2,508
$8.46 SGD 10.84
-10.87%
Cappuccino
$2.53 LKR 840
$5.18 SGD 6.64
-51.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 LKR 132
$1.84 SGD 2.36
-78.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 LKR 82.4
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-79.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.18 LKR 725
$9.50 SGD 12.17
-77.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 LKR 987
$9.86 SGD 12.63
-69.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 LKR 546
$3.02 SGD 3.87
-45.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 LKR 189
$2.67 SGD 3.42
-78.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.77 LKR 254
$2.77 SGD 3.54
-72.20%
Eggs
$1.63 LKR 543
$3.72 SGD 4.77
-56.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.50 LKR 5,155
$21.01 SGD 26.92
-26.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.14 LKR 1,710
$9.95 SGD 12.75
-48.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.39 LKR 2,459
$25.13 SGD 32.20
-70.59%
Apples (1kg)
$6.66 LKR 2,213
$4.59 SGD 5.88
45.10%
Banana (1kg)
$0.88 LKR 293
$3.09 SGD 3.96
-71.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.27 LKR 1,421
$4.64 SGD 5.95
-7.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.31 LKR 436
$2.18 SGD 2.79
-39.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 LKR 358
$2.33 SGD 2.99
-53.65%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 LKR 254
$2.31 SGD 2.96
-67.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 LKR 413
$1.86 SGD 2.39
-33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 LKR 143
$1.55 SGD 1.98
-72.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.16 LKR 3,377
$14.11 SGD 18.08
-27.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.31 LKR 4,426
$23.24 SGD 29.78
-42.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 LKR 643
$4.73 SGD 6.06
-59.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 LKR 949
$4.79 SGD 6.14
-40.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.53 SGD 1.96
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$96.5 SGD 124
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.41 LKR 135
$3.58 SGD 4.59
-88.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 LKR 103
$0.76 SGD 0.97
-59.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.88 LKR 294
$16.98 SGD 21.75
-94.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 LKR 436
$2.46 SGD 3.15
-46.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.3K LKR 14.4M
$159.4K SGD 204.2K
-72.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.6K LKR 15.2M
$155.7K SGD 199.5K
-70.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.4 LKR 18.7K
$168 SGD 215
-66.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.10 LKR 1,363
$12.24 SGD 15.68
-66.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.92 LKR 6,955
$28.18 SGD 36.11
-25.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$111 SGD 142
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.60 SGD 14.86
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.56 LKR 1,515
$12.24 SGD 15.68
-62.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$39.87 LKR 13.3K
$1,899 SGD 2,433
-97.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.5K LKR 5.8M
$39.1K SGD 50.1K
-55.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.42 LKR 6,125
$79.6 SGD 102
-76.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.75 LKR 5,902
$50.7 SGD 65.0
-64.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 LKR 25.8K
$112 SGD 143
-30.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.50 LKR 13.8K
$125 SGD 160
-66.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
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
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vavuniya
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,526 SGD 5,799
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.5
2.44
412.30%

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

Last update for Vavuniya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Vavuniya
$245
Singapore
$459 87.4% $214
Eating Out
Vavuniya
$103
Singapore
$260 151% $156
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vavuniya
$81
Singapore
$208 156% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Vavuniya
$70
Singapore
$165 136% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Vavuniya
$9.1 *
Singapore
$135 1383% $126
Getting Around
Vavuniya
$2 *
Singapore
$110 5539% $108
Accommodation & Living
Vavuniya
- *
Singapore
$2.3K

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $15 in Vavuniya vs $71 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $459 per month, with Vavuniya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Vavuniya
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
06:00 6:00 AM
08:30 8:30 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Vavuniya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
99,600
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vavuniya Singapore 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vavuniya
  • Singapore

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
Vavuniya vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vavuniya cheaper than Singapore?
Vavuniya 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.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $766 in Vavuniya and $5,392 in Singapore to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $40 in Vavuniya versus $1,899 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Vavuniya or in Singapore?
Dining out is cheaper in Vavuniya – a meal for two runs $15 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Vavuniya or in Singapore?
At $511 in Vavuniya versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Vavuniya but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Vavuniya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Vavuniya or in Singapore?
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.
Which city is safer, Vavuniya or Singapore?
Safety-wise, Vavuniya and Singapore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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