Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Koh Tao

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Koh Tao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $1,038 in Koh Tao.

Singapore $3,454
Koh Tao $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $1,702 in Koh Tao.

Singapore $5,224
Koh Tao $1,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $2,367 in Koh Tao.

Singapore $6,994
Koh Tao $2,367

Living in Singapore is roughly 233% more expensive than in Koh Tao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$3.75 ฿126

207.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$27.47 ฿920

159.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$7.44 ฿249

17.74%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$2.29 ฿76.7

129.26%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$0.74 ฿24.85

147.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$0.42 ฿14.14

197.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$2.11 ฿70.5

299.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$3.16 ฿106

217.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.56 ฿52.3

88.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$1.31 ฿43.93

88.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$1.43 ฿47.89

89.51%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$2.08 ฿69.6

79.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$18.59 ฿623

15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$3.11 ฿104

206.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$10.34 ฿346

151.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$2.70 ฿90.5

65.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$1.54 ฿51.7

101.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$2.16 ฿72.5

113.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$1.95 ฿65.2

14.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$1.43 ฿48.03

74.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$1.26 ฿42.12

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$1.06 ฿35.35

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$0.51 ฿17.19

196.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$4.06 ฿136

249.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$17.40 ฿583

36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$1.67 ฿56.0

170.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$2.63 ฿88.0

73.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$1.97 ฿65.9

-19.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$2.62 ฿87.6

38.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$0.91 ฿30.50

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

$3.48 ฿117

364.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.29 ฿43.27

94.57%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$23.8K ฿796.9K

554.79%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

$24.3K ฿813.9K

499.65%

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

$175 SGD 224

$96.6 ฿3,235

81.12%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$11.14 ฿373

11.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

$16.85 ฿564

58.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$54.6 ฿1,827

104.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

$11.61 ฿389

3.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$7.88 ฿264

47.21%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$547 ฿18.3K

167.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$11.4K ฿383.3K

147.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$62.7 ฿2,100

29.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$28.43 ฿952

77.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$96.2 ฿3,220

16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$88.2 ฿2,952

47.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$535 ฿17.9K

444.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$354 ฿11.9K

501.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$1,533 ฿51.3K

268.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$897 ฿30.0K

342.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$2,660 ฿89.0K

787.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$1,917 ฿64.2K

777.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.57

-56.19%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Koh Tao

$354 34% 83.4% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Koh Tao

$252 24.2% 44.9% $206

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Koh Tao

$101 9.7% 60.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Koh Tao

$125 12% 41.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Koh Tao

$124 11.9% 26.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Koh Tao

$70 6.8% 47.8% $64

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5% 86.4% $95

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 $2,916 in Singapore and $535 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $27.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $252 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,382

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Koh Tao 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Koh Tao

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 Koh Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 233% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,180 in Singapore and $1,557 in Koh Tao 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,916 in Singapore versus $535 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,463 in Singapore versus $547 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.