Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $436 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,900 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $436 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Singapore $3,594
Kolkata (Calcutta) $436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $692 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Singapore $5,314
Kolkata (Calcutta) $692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $948 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Singapore $7,033
Kolkata (Calcutta) $948

Living in Singapore is roughly 724% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$2.16 ₹203

436.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$14.07 ₹1,321

402.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$4.15 ₹389

103.86%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$1.69 ₹158

206.51%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.44 ₹41.60

318.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.13 ₹12.65

846.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$1.85 ₹173

413.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.00 ₹282

228.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.72 ₹67.2

319.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.46 ₹42.89

480.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.72 ₹68.0

284.72%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.06 ₹99.2

250.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$6.09 ₹572

244.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$3.05 ₹287

226.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$2.51 ₹236

82.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.82 ₹76.9

276.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$1.42 ₹134

226.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.66 ₹61.8

230.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.29 ₹26.91

703.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.47 ₹44.26

391.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.30 ₹27.75

520.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.26 ₹24.10

496.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$4.96 ₹466

184.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$10.53 ₹988

120.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.75 ₹164

170.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.81 ₹264

70.46%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$7.06 ₹663

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.16 ₹14.68

856.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$3.21 ₹302

2904.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.59 ₹55.7

506.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.31 ₹29.03

145.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$1.69 ₹158

904.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.12 ₹105

119.64%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$13.4K ₹1.3M

1087.25%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$22.7K ₹2.1M

586.55%

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

$168 SGD 215

$51.1 ₹4,801

228.52%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.70 ₹442

160.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$7.51 ₹706

275.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$14.88 ₹1,397

643.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$12.41 ₹1,165

-6.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$3.10 ₹291

294.84%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$42.62 ₹4,002

4355.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$3,792 ₹356.1K

931.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$24.85 ₹2,334

220.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$25.78 ₹2,420

96.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$33.96 ₹3,189

228.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$27.91 ₹2,621

346.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$174 ₹16.3K

1739.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$107 ₹10.1K

2004.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

$416 ₹39.0K

1384.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

$241 ₹22.6K

1574.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$1,072 ₹100.7K

2098.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$623 ₹58.5K

2549.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

$365 ₹34.3K

1138.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

-72.89%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$107 24.6% 95.2% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$120 27.6% 73.8% $339

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$68 15.5% 74% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$63 14.5% 69.6% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$51 11.6% 69.3% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$21 4.8% 84.4% $114

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6 1.4% 94.6% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $174 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $14 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $120 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

4,486,679

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.65 USD

1,000 INR = 9.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 93.9 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 105 INR (1,000 INR = 9.53 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Singapore Kolkata (Calcutta) 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Singapore is about 12 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 $174 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,594 per month in Singapore versus $436 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – Kolkata (Calcutta) is about 88% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 97% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $436 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.