Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Chanthaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chanthaburi: $965 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Chanthaburi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$965
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Chanthaburi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Singapore and in Chanthaburi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $965 in Chanthaburi.

  • Singapore $3,500
  • Chanthaburi $965

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,594 in Chanthaburi.

  • Singapore $5,265
  • Chanthaburi $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,224 in Chanthaburi.

  • Singapore $7,030
  • Chanthaburi $2,224

Living in Singapore is roughly 263% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Chanthaburi is 29% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 SGD 15.05
$1.18 ฿39.32
896.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 SGD 90.4
$35.45 ฿1,185
99.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 SGD 10.94
$7.15 ฿239
19.58%
Cappuccino
$5.20 SGD 6.66
$1.52 ฿50.8
242.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SGD 2.27
$0.52 ฿17.25
240.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.29 ฿9.60
324.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.26 SGD 10.58
$1.67 ฿55.8
394.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.17 SGD 13.01
$4.40 ฿147
131.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.04 SGD 3.89
$1.52 ฿51.0
100.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 SGD 3.26
$1.47 ฿48.97
73.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$0.87 ฿29.09
228.74%
Eggs
$3.53 SGD 4.51
$2.05 ฿68.7
72.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.12 SGD 27.02
$17.05 ฿570
23.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 SGD 12.67
$3.69 ฿123
168.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.42 SGD 32.53
$13.08 ฿437
94.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$3.92 ฿131
16.58%
Banana (1kg)
$3.13 SGD 4.00
$1.80 ฿60.1
73.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 SGD 6.04
$2.81 ฿93.9
67.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 SGD 2.85
$1.90 ฿63.3
17.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$1.17 ฿39.14
119.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 SGD 2.93
$1.56 ฿52.2
46.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 SGD 2.39
$1.24 ฿41.41
50.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SGD 1.84
$0.54 ฿18.21
166.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 SGD 17.88
$4.50 ฿150
210.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.48 SGD 30.05
$14.75 ฿493
59.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 SGD 5.80
$1.71 ฿57.1
165.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 SGD 5.68
$3.29 ฿110
34.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 SGD 2.01
$0.87 ฿29.23
80.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 SGD 120
$88.7 ฿2,964
5.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$1.01 ฿33.74
260.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$1.06 ฿35.26
-28.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.14 SGD 20.66
$5.87 ฿196
174.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 SGD 3.14
$1.20 ฿40.01
104.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
$31.1K ฿1.0M
399.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
$23.3K ฿779.2K
536.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$106 ฿3,547
61.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.86
$3.58 ฿120
246.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.21 SGD 33.54
$10.22 ฿342
156.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$46.50 ฿1,554
132.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.31 SGD 15.75
$14.30 ฿478
-13.92%
Cinema Ticket
$11.64 SGD 14.90
$5.30 ฿177
119.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,481 SGD 1,895
$578 ฿19.3K
156.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
$16.6K ฿555.3K
70.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 SGD 103
$7.38 ฿247
991.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 SGD 64.1
$35.89 ฿1,199
39.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$67.6 ฿2,260
65.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 SGD 165
$20.82 ฿696
519.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,015 SGD 3,858
$440 ฿14.7K
584.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 SGD 2,778
$296 ฿9,906
632.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,842 SGD 7,475
$1,368 ฿45.7K
327.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,044 SGD 5,174
$727 ฿24.3K
455.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
$1,912 ฿63.9K
1144.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
$1,552 ฿51.9K
979.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Chanthaburi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
5.25
-53.52%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Chanthaburi
$296 86.3% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Chanthaburi
$264 42.3% $193
Eating Out
Singapore
$256
Chanthaburi
$69 72.9% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Chanthaburi
$120 42.9% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$167
Chanthaburi
$59 64.5% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$131
Chanthaburi
$57 56.5% $74
Getting Around
Singapore
$107
Chanthaburi
$98 8.4% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $440 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $35.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $264 per month, with Chanthaburi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇹🇭 Chanthaburi
🕒 Local time
07:10 7:10 AM
06:10 6:10 AM
1 h behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
27,602
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Chanthaburi 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Chanthaburi

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
Singapore vs Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Singapore and in Chanthaburi?
Singapore and Chanthaburi differ by about 263% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $965 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Chanthaburi?
You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,447 in Chanthaburi 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Singapore and in Chanthaburi?
Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $440 in Chanthaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Singapore and in Chanthaburi?
A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 6% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Singapore and Chanthaburi?
Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $578 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $965 in Chanthaburi versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Singapore and Chanthaburi?
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.
Is Singapore or Chanthaburi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Chanthaburi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Singapore or Chanthaburi?
Expats usually find Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 263% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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