Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Koh Tao $1,038
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Koh Tao versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Koh Tao $1,702
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,367 in Koh Tao versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Koh Tao $2,367
Singapore $6,994

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 70% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 23% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 ฿126

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-67.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 ฿920

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-61.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 ฿249

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-15.07%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ฿76.7

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-56.38%

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

$0.74 ฿24.85

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-59.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.14

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-66.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿70.5

$8.42 SGD 10.78

-74.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ฿106

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-68.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿43.93

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-46.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.89

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-47.23%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.6

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-44.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 ฿623

$21.54 SGD 27.57

-13.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ฿104

$9.52 SGD 12.19

-67.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ฿346

$25.98 SGD 33.26

-60.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.5

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-39.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿51.7

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-50.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.5

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-53.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.2

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-12.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-42.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.12

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.35

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-66.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ฿136

$14.18 SGD 18.15

-71.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.40 ฿583

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-26.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿56.0

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-62.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.0

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-42.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 ฿65.9

$1.58 SGD 2.03

24.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 ฿87.6

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-27.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ฿30.50

$0.80 SGD 1.02

13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ฿117

$16.18 SGD 20.71

-78.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.27

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-48.61%

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

$23.8K ฿796.9K

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-84.73%

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

$24.3K ฿813.9K

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

-83.32%

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

$96.6 ฿3,235

$175 SGD 224

-44.79%

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

$11.14 ฿373

$12.45 SGD 15.94

-10.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿564

$26.64 SGD 34.10

-36.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 ฿1,827

$112 SGD 143

-51.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿389

$12.07 SGD 15.45

-3.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ฿264

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-32.07%

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

$547 ฿18.3K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-62.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿383.3K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-59.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 ฿2,100

$81.5 SGD 104

-23.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.43 ฿952

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-43.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,220

$112 SGD 143

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 ฿2,952

$130 SGD 166

-32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ฿17.9K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-81.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ฿11.9K

$2,128 SGD 2,724

-83.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ฿51.3K

$5,654 SGD 7,239

-72.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ฿30.0K

$3,968 SGD 5,080

-77.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ฿89.0K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-88.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-88.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.44

128.28%

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

Last update for Koh Tao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Tao

$354 34%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 501% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Koh Tao

$252 24.2%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 81.6% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Tao

$125 12%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 71.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Tao

$124 11.9%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 35.6% $44

Eating Out

Koh Tao

$101 9.7%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 153% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Tao

$70 6.8%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 91.6% $64

Getting Around

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 633% $95

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 $535 in Koh Tao and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Koh Tao vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $457 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

10:05 10:05 AM

1 h ahead of Koh Tao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Tao Singapore 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Tao
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

Koh Tao vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 233% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,557 in Koh Tao and $5,180 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Koh Tao versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Koh Tao versus $1,463 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao 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, Koh Tao 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.

Expats usually find Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.