Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $496 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kathmandu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $496 in Kathmandu.

Singapore $3,594
Kathmandu $496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $795 in Kathmandu.

Singapore $5,314
Kathmandu $795

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $1,094 in Kathmandu.

Singapore $7,033
Kathmandu $1,094

Living in Singapore is roughly 625% more expensive than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Kathmandu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$2.03 NPR 305

470.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$21.67 NPR 3,260

226.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$7.92 NPR 1,192

6.82%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$1.56 NPR 234

232.05%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.56 NPR 83.7

228.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.13 NPR 19.99

846.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$3.11 NPR 468

205.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.39 NPR 509

190.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.76 NPR 114

297.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.63 NPR 94.7

323.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.94 NPR 142

194.68%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.70 NPR 256

118.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$7.70 NPR 1,158

172.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$3.17 NPR 477

213.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

$5.72 NPR 860

339.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$2.02 NPR 304

127.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$1.16 NPR 175

166.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$1.34 NPR 201

246.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.55 NPR 82.5

296.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.39 NPR 58.2

497.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.55 NPR 82.3

320.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.48 NPR 72.6

287.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.24 NPR 36.20

545.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$2.63 NPR 396

436.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$9.00 NPR 1,354

158.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$2.20 NPR 331

115.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$3.08 NPR 463

55.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.22 NPR 33.00

595.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$9.88 NPR 1,486

876.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$1.68 NPR 253

113.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.22 NPR 183

-37.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$3.25 NPR 489

422.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.42 NPR 213

73.24%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

345.90%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$36.2K NPR 5.4M

330.46%

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

$168 SGD 215

$31.50 NPR 4,738

433.14%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$3.53 NPR 531

246.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$8.96 NPR 1,347

214.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$24.91 NPR 3,747

344.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$7.01 NPR 1,054

65.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$2.89 NPR 434

323.53%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$67.5 NPR 10.2K

2713.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$14.9K NPR 2.2M

162.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$21.64 NPR 3,256

268.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$26.51 NPR 3,988

91.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$63.1 NPR 9,487

76.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$28.01 NPR 4,214

344.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$233 NPR 35.1K

1267.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$109 NPR 16.3K

1979.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

$444 NPR 66.8K

1290.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

$207 NPR 31.2K

1847.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$2,324 NPR 349.6K

914.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$1,315 NPR 197.8K

1155.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

$285 NPR 42.9K

1488.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

9.98

-75.55%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Kathmandu

$109 21.9% 95.2% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Kathmandu

$148 29.8% 67.8% $311

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Kathmandu

$84 16.9% 67.8% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Kathmandu

$44 8.9% 78.9% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Kathmandu

$63 12.6% 62% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Kathmandu

$31 6.2% 77.3% $104

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Kathmandu

$19 3.7% 83.1% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $233 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 16 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $22 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $148 per month, with Kathmandu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

2 h 15 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

975,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.65 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 150 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.65 USD). 1 EUR = 168 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.95 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Kathmandu 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kathmandu

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 Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Singapore is about 16 times higher, 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: $3,191 in Singapore versus $233 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $22 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,594 per month in Singapore versus $496 in Kathmandu – Kathmandu is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $496 in Kathmandu versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu 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.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.