Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Raleigh, NC: $2,643 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,643

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,643 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $3,544 in Singapore, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $2,643
Singapore $3,544

A couple spends around $3,817 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $5,318 in Singapore, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $3,817
Singapore $5,318

A family of three spends $4,991 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $7,093 in Singapore, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $4,991
Singapore $7,093

Raleigh, NC is about 25% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Raleigh, NC and Singapore sit above the global median – Raleigh, NC by 94%, Singapore by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 $21.90

$11.62 SGD 14.89

88.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 $88.4

$74.4 SGD 95.4

18.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 $11.44

$8.35 SGD 10.69

37.01%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.24 SGD 6.71

6.87%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.83 SGD 2.34

54.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.28 SGD 1.64

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$8.33 SGD 10.68

-26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$9.99 SGD 12.80

-30.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.99 SGD 3.83

-70.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.58 SGD 3.31

46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.77 SGD 3.55

14.44%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$3.76 SGD 4.82

27.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$20.85 SGD 26.71

-27.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$10.01 SGD 12.82

-2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$25.28 SGD 32.39

-29.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.52 SGD 5.79

46.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$3.19 SGD 4.09

-60.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.17 SGD 2.78

164.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.48 SGD 3.18

17.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.33 SGD 2.99

54.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.91 SGD 2.44

13.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.45 SGD 1.85

52.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$13.85 SGD 17.74

-37.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$23.38 SGD 29.95

-35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.69 SGD 6.01

-52.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$4.80 SGD 6.15

-42.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.52 SGD 1.94

-19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.38 $40.38

$96.6 SGD 124

-58.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.71 SGD 4.76

-21.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.81 SGD 1.03

137.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.79 $17.79

$16.41 SGD 21.03

8.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.53 SGD 3.24

-60.08%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$156.9K SGD 201.0K

-80.36%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$154.6K SGD 198.0K

-83.29%

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

$185 $185

$170 SGD 218

9.16%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$12.39 SGD 15.88

357.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$28.02 SGD 35.90

144.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 $33.01

$111 SGD 143

-70.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 $5.90

$12.09 SGD 15.49

-51.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$12.21 SGD 15.65

20.72%

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

$1,317 $1,317

$1,878 SGD 2,406

-29.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$29.1K SGD 37.3K

-17.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 $60.5

$76.8 SGD 98.4

-21.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$51.5 SGD 66.0

8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$107 SGD 137

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$123 SGD 158

29.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$3,098 SGD 3,969

-44.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$2,213 SGD 2,836

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$5,983 SGD 7,667

-52.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 $1,915

$4,088 SGD 5,238

-53.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,556 $4,556

$23.1K SGD 29.6K

-80.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,115 $2,115

$16.7K SGD 21.4K

-87.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,605 $4,605

$4,464 SGD 5,720

3.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

2.44

170.90%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 24, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.8%

Singapore

$2.2K 62.5% 71.5% $923

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$411 15.6%

Singapore

$458 12.9% 11.4% $47

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$341 12.9%

Singapore

$255 7.2% 25.3% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$311 11.8%

Singapore

$210 5.9% 32.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$170 6.4%

Singapore

$161 4.6% 4.8% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$62 2.4%

Singapore

$136 3.8% 117% $73

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$58 2.2%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 91.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,715 in Raleigh, NC versus $3,098 in Singapore. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Raleigh, NC, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Raleigh, NC versus $74 in Singapore. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Raleigh, NC vs $458 in Singapore – so Raleigh, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

19:08 7:08 PM

12 h ahead of Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

SGD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Raleigh, NC Singapore 15,880 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 34% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,964 per month in Raleigh, NC and $5,316 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Raleigh, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $3,098 in Singapore.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Raleigh, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,317 per month in Raleigh, NC and $1,878 in Singapore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,643 in Raleigh, NC and $3,544 in Singapore. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Raleigh, NC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.