Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Hat Yai

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 Hat Yai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $731 in Hat Yai.

Singapore $3,500
Hat Yai $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,300 in Hat Yai.

Singapore $5,265
Hat Yai $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $1,870 in Hat Yai.

Singapore $7,030
Hat Yai $1,870

Living in Singapore is roughly 379% more expensive than in Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Hat Yai is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$2.90 ฿96.9

305.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$43.67 ฿1,460

61.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$3.66 ฿122

133.61%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.88 ฿96.3

80.56%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.33 ฿44.34

33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.56 ฿18.60

119.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$1.80 ฿60.1

358.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.46 ฿116

193.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.45 ฿48.55

109.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.25 ฿41.68

104.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$1.24 ฿41.28

130.65%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.51 ฿83.9

40.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$22.15 ฿740

-4.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$2.24 ฿74.7

341.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$11.19 ฿374

127.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$2.54 ฿84.8

79.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.38 ฿46.10

126.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$1.89 ฿63.3

149.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$1.80 ฿60.3

23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$1.46 ฿48.94

76.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$1.03 ฿34.38

122.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.07 ฿35.74

74.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.41 ฿13.57

251.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$4.36 ฿146

220.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$15.03 ฿502

56.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.77 ฿59.2

156.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.99 ฿66.4

123.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$0.57 ฿18.98

175.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$1.25 ฿41.71

191.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.13 ฿37.78

-32.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$4.94 ฿165

226.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.29 ฿43.15

89.92%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$18.9K ฿630.6K

722.26%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$45.1K ฿1.5M

229.17%

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

$172 SGD 220

$84.4 ฿2,819

103.35%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$11.75 ฿393

5.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$9.65 ฿322

171.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$48.45 ฿1,619

122.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$14.10 ฿471

-12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$7.19 ฿240

61.89%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$562 ฿18.8K

163.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$10.7K ฿357.3K

165.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$37.54 ฿1,255

114.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$26.26 ฿878

90.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$70.9 ฿2,369

57.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$97.3 ฿3,250

32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$270 ฿9,010

1018.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$107 ฿3,576

1928.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$729 ฿24.4K

701.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$397 ฿13.3K

918.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$1,915 ฿64.0K

1142.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,584 ฿52.9K

957.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$452 ฿15.1K

870.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.36

-61.64%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Hat Yai

$107 14.7% 95.1% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Hat Yai

$249 34.1% 45.6% $209

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 64% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Hat Yai

$106 14.5% 49.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Hat Yai

$104 14.3% 37.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Hat Yai

$63 8.6% 52.1% $68

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3% 91.5% $98

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 $3,015 in Singapore and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 871% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $44.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $249 per month, with Hat Yai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

06:10 6:10 AM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

156,802

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

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).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Hat Yai 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Hat Yai

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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 379% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 871% higher in Singapore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $562 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai 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, Singapore and Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 379% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.