Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khon Kaen and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $613 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $34,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khon Kaen
🇹🇭 Thailand
$613
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $613 per month in Khon Kaen vs $3,500 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Khon Kaen $613
  • Singapore $3,500

A couple spends around $1,029 per month in Khon Kaen vs $5,265 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Khon Kaen $1,029
  • Singapore $5,265

A family of three spends $1,444 per month in Khon Kaen vs $7,030 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Khon Kaen $1,444
  • Singapore $7,030

Khon Kaen is about 82% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Khon Kaen sits 55% below the global median, while Singapore is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.98 ฿99.7
$11.76 SGD 15.05
-74.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.88 ฿999
$70.6 SGD 90.4
-57.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.03 ฿202
$8.55 SGD 10.94
-29.47%
Cappuccino
$1.46 ฿48.84
$5.20 SGD 6.66
-71.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ฿19.67
$1.77 SGD 2.27
-66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ฿8.92
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-78.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 ฿58.3
$8.26 SGD 10.58
-78.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.76 ฿226
$10.17 SGD 13.01
-33.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$3.04 SGD 3.89
-
White Bread (500g)
-
$2.55 SGD 3.26
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 ฿29.38
$2.86 SGD 3.66
-69.23%
Eggs
$2.47 ฿82.6
$3.53 SGD 4.51
-30.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$21.12 SGD 27.02
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$9.90 SGD 12.67
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$25.42 SGD 32.53
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$4.57 SGD 5.85
-
Banana (1kg)
$0.92 ฿30.82
$3.13 SGD 4.00
-70.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.83
$4.72 SGD 6.04
-69.07%
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.23 SGD 2.85
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$2.57 SGD 3.29
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$2.29 SGD 2.93
-34.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 ฿20.51
$1.87 SGD 2.39
-67.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.41
$1.44 SGD 1.84
-65.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$13.97 SGD 17.88
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$23.48 SGD 30.05
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 ฿56.4
$4.54 SGD 5.80
-62.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.44 SGD 5.68
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.57 SGD 2.01
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$93.8 SGD 120
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.64 SGD 4.66
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 ฿40.47
$0.76 SGD 0.97
59.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.14 SGD 20.66
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ฿44.66
$2.45 SGD 3.14
-45.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.1K ฿1.5M
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
-70.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.5K
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
-81.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.1 ฿3,146
$172 SGD 220
-45.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.76 ฿594
$12.39 SGD 15.86
43.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.78 ฿995
$26.21 SGD 33.54
13.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.5 ฿2,022
$108 SGD 138
-44.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$12.31 SGD 15.75
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.08 ฿203
$11.64 SGD 14.90
-47.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$1,481 SGD 1,895
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,748 ฿292.3K
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
-69.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.67 ฿992
$80.6 SGD 103
-63.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.23 ฿1,177
$50.1 SGD 64.1
-29.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.1 ฿2,510
$112 SGD 143
-32.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.7 ฿2,931
$129 SGD 165
-31.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$278 ฿9,297
$3,015 SGD 3,858
-90.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$161 ฿5,366
$2,171 SGD 2,778
-92.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$757 ฿25.3K
$5,842 SGD 7,475
-87.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$484 ฿16.2K
$4,044 SGD 5,174
-88.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khon Kaen
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
2.44
-

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

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Khon Kaen
$161
Singapore
$2.2K 1252% $2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khon Kaen
$142
Singapore
$210 48.3% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Khon Kaen
$102
Singapore
$167 63.1% $65
Eating Out
Khon Kaen
$85
Singapore
$256 200% $171
Sport & Entertainment
Khon Kaen
$73
Singapore
$131 80.7% $59
Groceries & Markets
Khon Kaen
$45 *
Singapore
$458 927% $413
Getting Around
Khon Kaen
$6.1 *
Singapore
$107 1673% $101

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Khon Kaen versus $3,015 in Singapore. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Khon Kaen versus $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45.00 vs $458 – making Khon Kaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Khon Kaen
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
23:49 11:49 PM
00:49 12:49 AM
1 h ahead of Khon Kaen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
114,459
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 = 37.58 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
  • Khon Kaen Singapore 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Khon Kaen
  • 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
Khon Kaen vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Singapore cheaper than Khon Kaen?
Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 471%, 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 $920 per month in Khon Kaen and $5,251 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Khon Kaen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Khon Kaen and in Singapore?
Groceries cost about 927% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Khon Kaen or in Singapore?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Khon Kaen and $71.0 in Singapore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Khon Kaen or in Singapore?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Khon Kaen, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Khon Kaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Khon Kaen or Singapore more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Khon Kaen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Khon Kaen or Singapore?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Khon Kaen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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