Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hat Yai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$731
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $3,500 in Singapore.

  • Hat Yai $731
  • Singapore $3,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $5,265 in Singapore.

  • Hat Yai $1,300
  • Singapore $5,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $7,030 in Singapore.

  • Hat Yai $1,870
  • Singapore $7,030

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 79% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hat Yai is 46% below, Singapore is 159% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.90 ฿96.9
$11.76 SGD 15.05
-75.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.67 ฿1,460
$70.6 SGD 90.4
-38.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.66 ฿122
$8.55 SGD 10.94
-57.19%
Cappuccino
$2.88 ฿96.3
$5.20 SGD 6.66
-44.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 ฿44.34
$1.77 SGD 2.27
-24.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ฿18.60
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-54.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.80 ฿60.1
$8.26 SGD 10.58
-78.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 ฿116
$10.17 SGD 13.01
-65.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.55
$3.04 SGD 3.89
-52.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 ฿41.68
$2.55 SGD 3.26
-50.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.28
$2.86 SGD 3.66
-56.64%
Eggs
$2.51 ฿83.9
$3.53 SGD 4.51
-28.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.15 ฿740
$21.12 SGD 27.02
4.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.24 ฿74.7
$9.90 SGD 12.67
-77.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.19 ฿374
$25.42 SGD 32.53
-55.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.54 ฿84.8
$4.57 SGD 5.85
-44.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.10
$3.13 SGD 4.00
-55.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 ฿63.3
$4.72 SGD 6.04
-59.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ฿60.3
$2.23 SGD 2.85
-19.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.94
$2.57 SGD 3.29
-43.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.38
$2.29 SGD 2.93
-55.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.74
$1.87 SGD 2.39
-42.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 ฿13.57
$1.44 SGD 1.84
-71.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.36 ฿146
$13.97 SGD 17.88
-68.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.03 ฿502
$23.48 SGD 30.05
-35.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
$4.54 SGD 5.80
-61.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ฿66.4
$4.44 SGD 5.68
-55.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 ฿18.98
$1.57 SGD 2.01
-63.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$93.8 SGD 120
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.25 ฿41.71
$3.64 SGD 4.66
-65.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 ฿37.78
$0.76 SGD 0.97
48.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 ฿165
$16.14 SGD 20.66
-69.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ฿43.15
$2.45 SGD 3.14
-47.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.9K ฿630.6K
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
-87.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.1K ฿1.5M
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
-69.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.4 ฿2,819
$172 SGD 220
-50.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.75 ฿393
$12.39 SGD 15.86
-5.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.65 ฿322
$26.21 SGD 33.54
-63.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.45 ฿1,619
$108 SGD 138
-55.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.10 ฿471
$12.31 SGD 15.75
14.54%
Cinema Ticket
$7.19 ฿240
$11.64 SGD 14.90
-38.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$562 ฿18.8K
$1,481 SGD 1,895
-62.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K ฿357.3K
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
-62.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.54 ฿1,255
$80.6 SGD 103
-53.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.26 ฿878
$50.1 SGD 64.1
-47.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.9 ฿2,369
$112 SGD 143
-36.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 ฿3,250
$129 SGD 165
-24.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$270 ฿9,010
$3,015 SGD 3,858
-91.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$107 ฿3,576
$2,171 SGD 2,778
-95.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$5,842 SGD 7,475
-87.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$397 ฿13.3K
$4,044 SGD 5,174
-90.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,915 ฿64.0K
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
-91.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,584 ฿52.9K
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
-90.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hat Yai
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$452 ฿15.1K
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-89.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.36
2.44
160.66%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Hat Yai
$249
Singapore
$458 83.7% $209
Accommodation & Living
Hat Yai
$107
Singapore
$2.2K 1929% $2.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hat Yai
$106
Singapore
$210 98.7% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Hat Yai
$104
Singapore
$167 60.1% $63
Eating Out
Hat Yai
$92
Singapore
$256 177% $164
Sport & Entertainment
Hat Yai
$63
Singapore
$131 109% $68
Getting Around
Hat Yai
$9.2 *
Singapore
$107 1072% $98

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Hat Yai and $3,015 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 871% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $458 per month, with Hat Yai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Hat Yai
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
04:16 4:16 AM
05:16 5:16 AM
1 h ahead of Hat Yai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
156,802
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hat Yai Singapore 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hat Yai
  • 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
Hat Yai vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hat Yai or Singapore?
Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 379% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Hat Yai or in Singapore?
On paper, salaries run 871% lower in Singapore. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Hat Yai compared to Singapore?
Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Hat Yai versus $3,015 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Hat Yai and in Singapore?
Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai versus $1,481 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Hat Yai and in Singapore?
Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Hat Yai or in Singapore?
At $731 in Hat Yai versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Hat Yai or 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.
How safe is Hat Yai compared to Singapore?
Safety-wise, Hat Yai and Singapore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 379% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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