Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Phuket $1,190
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Phuket $2,006
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Phuket $2,822
Singapore $6,994

Living in Phuket costs roughly 66% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-62.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,091

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-54.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.4

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-46.48%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.46

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-63.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-69.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-63.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.4

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-41.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-42.44%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.6

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-9.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-64.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿375

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-57.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.2

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-36.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-47.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.8

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-51.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.2

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.59

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.87

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-39.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.08

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-66.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-69.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿631

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-61.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.3

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-39.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.9

$1.58 SGD 2.03

37.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿749

$96.4 SGD 123

-76.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-16.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.57

$0.80 SGD 1.02

32.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-77.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.08

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-43.03%

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

$26.3K ฿885.8K

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-83.10%

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

$26.2K ฿881.0K

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-82.02%

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

$96.7 ฿3,250

$175 SGD 224

-44.77%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$12.45 SGD 15.94

-8.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿575

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-35.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,775

$112 SGD 143

-52.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

$12.07 SGD 15.46

-8.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-34.05%

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

$555 ฿18.7K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-62.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.3K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-60.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,132

$81.5 SGD 104

-22.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿962

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-43.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,252

$112 SGD 143

-13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,979

$130 SGD 166

-31.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-74.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-78.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.7K

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-62.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-70.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.4K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-85.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.8K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-85.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-88.53%

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 Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 365% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 70.7% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 71% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 34.7% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 115% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 97.9% $67

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 181% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 772% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $457 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

08:41 8:41 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Singapore 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 190% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 772% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Phuket versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $1,463 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Singapore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.