Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Khon Kaen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $613 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $34,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Khon Kaen
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Khon Kaen Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Khon Kaen

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $613 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Khon Kaen $613

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $1,029 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Khon Kaen $1,029

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $1,444 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Khon Kaen $1,444

Singapore costs about 471% more than Khon Kaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Khon Kaen is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$2.98 ฿99.7

294.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$29.88 ฿999

136.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.03 ฿202

41.79%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$1.46 ฿48.84

256.16%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.59 ฿19.67

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.27 ฿8.92

355.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$1.74 ฿58.3

374.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$6.76 ฿226

50.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$0.88 ฿29.38

225.00%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.47 ฿82.6

42.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$0.92 ฿30.82

240.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$1.46 ฿48.83

223.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$1.50 ฿50.1

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.61 ฿20.51

206.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.49 ฿16.41

193.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.69 ฿56.4

168.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.21 ฿40.47

-37.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.34 ฿44.66

82.84%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$45.1K ฿1.5M

244.03%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$26.8K ฿895.5K

454.23%

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

$172 SGD 220

$94.1 ฿3,146

82.23%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$17.76 ฿594

-30.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$29.78 ฿995

-11.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$60.5 ฿2,022

78.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$6.08 ฿203

91.45%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$8,748 ฿292.3K

224.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$29.67 ฿992

171.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$35.23 ฿1,177

42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$75.1 ฿2,510

48.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$87.7 ฿2,931

46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$278 ฿9,297

983.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$161 ฿5,366

1252.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$757 ฿25.3K

671.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$484 ฿16.2K

735.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Khon Kaen

$161 26.2% 92.6% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Khon Kaen

$45 * 7.3% 90.3% $413

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Khon Kaen

$85 13.9% 66.7% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Khon Kaen

$142 23.1% 32.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Khon Kaen

$102 16.7% 38.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Khon Kaen

$73 11.9% 44.7% $59

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Khon Kaen

$6.1 * 1% 94.4% $101

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $278 in Khon Kaen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore versus $30.00 in Khon Kaen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $45.00 – making Khon Kaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

114,459

💱 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 = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Khon Kaen 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 471%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $920 in Khon Kaen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Khon Kaen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 927% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $30.00 in Khon Kaen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Khon Kaen, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Khon Kaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Khon Kaen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.