Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Loei

For one person, living is cheaper in Loei: $915 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $31,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Loei
🇹🇭 Thailand
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Loei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $915 in Loei.

  • Singapore $3,500
  • Loei $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,493 in Loei.

  • Singapore $5,265
  • Loei $1,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,070 in Loei.

  • Singapore $7,030
  • Loei $2,070

Living in Singapore is roughly 282% more expensive than in Loei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Loei is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 SGD 15.05
$2.93 ฿98.1
301.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 SGD 90.4
$22.08 ฿738
219.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 SGD 10.94
$6.78 ฿226
26.11%
Cappuccino
$5.20 SGD 6.66
$2.04 ฿68.2
154.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SGD 2.27
$0.74 ฿24.68
139.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.37 ฿12.28
232.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.26 SGD 10.58
$2.03 ฿67.7
306.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.17 SGD 13.01
$2.88 ฿96.3
253.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.04 SGD 3.89
$1.75 ฿58.4
73.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 SGD 3.26
$1.44 ฿48.15
77.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$1.30 ฿43.32
120.00%
Eggs
$3.53 SGD 4.51
$2.18 ฿72.8
61.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.12 SGD 27.02
$16.22 ฿542
30.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 SGD 12.67
$2.67 ฿89.1
270.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.42 SGD 32.53
$10.18 ฿340
149.71%
Apples (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$2.98 ฿99.6
53.36%
Banana (1kg)
$3.13 SGD 4.00
$1.03 ฿34.56
203.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 SGD 6.04
$2.22 ฿74.3
112.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 SGD 2.85
$1.83 ฿61.2
21.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$1.48 ฿49.51
73.65%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 SGD 2.93
$1.11 ฿37.09
106.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 SGD 2.39
$1.11 ฿37.26
68.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SGD 1.84
$0.48 ฿16.06
200.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 SGD 17.88
$4.41 ฿147
216.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.48 SGD 30.05
$17.36 ฿580
35.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 SGD 5.80
$1.69 ฿56.5
168.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 SGD 5.68
$2.77 ฿92.5
60.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Loei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 SGD 2.01
$0.86 ฿28.88
82.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 SGD 120
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$1.30 ฿43.52
180.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$1.08 ฿36.20
-29.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.14 SGD 20.66
$4.73 ฿158
241.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 SGD 3.14
$1.35 ฿45.08
81.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
$26.6K ฿888.2K
483.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
$26.4K ฿882.3K
462.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$83.8 ฿2,802
104.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.86
$11.44 ฿382
8.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.21 SGD 33.54
$19.35 ฿647
35.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$47.47 ฿1,587
127.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.31 SGD 15.75
$13.92 ฿465
-11.57%
Cinema Ticket
$11.64 SGD 14.90
$6.36 ฿212
83.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,481 SGD 1,895
$574 ฿19.2K
158.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
$10.8K ฿362.4K
161.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 SGD 103
$51.2 ฿1,712
57.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 SGD 64.1
$29.41 ฿983
70.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$78.7 ฿2,630
42.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 SGD 165
$75.2 ฿2,515
71.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Loei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,015 SGD 3,858
$438 ฿14.6K
587.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 SGD 2,778
$293 ฿9,801
640.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,842 SGD 7,475
$1,405 ฿47.0K
315.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,044 SGD 5,174
$725 ฿24.2K
457.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
$1,942 ฿64.9K
1125.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
$1,596 ฿53.3K
949.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Loei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-
-
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 13, 2026

Last update for Loei: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Loei
$293 86.5% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Loei
$243 46.9% $215
Eating Out
Singapore
$256
Loei
$89 65.4% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Loei
$115 45.5% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$167
Loei
$106 36.8% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$131
Loei
$60 54.2% $71
Getting Around
Singapore
$107
Loei
$10 * 90.5% $97

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 $438 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $22.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $243 per month, with Loei cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇹🇭 Loei
🕒 Local time
02:33 2:33 AM
01:33 1:33 AM
1 h behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
22,677
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Loei 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Loei

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 Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Singapore and in Loei?
Singapore and Loei differ by about 282% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $915 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Loei?
You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,373 in Loei 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Singapore and in Loei?
Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $438 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Singapore and Loei?
Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $574 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $915 in Loei versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loei but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Loei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Singapore and Loei?
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.
Is Singapore or Loei safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Loei are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Singapore or Loei?
Expats usually find Loei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 282% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Singapore vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?