Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Malda

For one person, living is cheaper in Malda: $428 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $38,000 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 Malda
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Malda Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Malda

🇮🇳 India

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Malda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $428 in Malda.

Singapore $3,594
Malda $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $613 in Malda.

Singapore $5,314
Malda $613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $799 in Malda.

Singapore $7,033
Malda $799

Living in Singapore is roughly 740% more expensive than in Malda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Malda is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$1.08 ₹101

972.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$14.11 ₹1,325

400.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$4.26 ₹400

98.59%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$1.62 ₹152

219.75%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.45 ₹41.99

308.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.14 ₹13.44

778.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$1.88 ₹177

405.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.07 ₹289

221.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.65 ₹60.6

364.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.50 ₹46.82

434.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.55 ₹51.4

403.64%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$0.86 ₹80.6

332.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$6.05 ₹569

247.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$2.35 ₹221

323.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$2.41 ₹226

90.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.77 ₹71.9

301.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$1.38 ₹129

236.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.50 ₹47.36

336.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.22 ₹20.68

959.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.42 ₹39.00

450.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.33 ₹30.55

463.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.14 ₹13.31

1007.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$5.10 ₹479

176.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$10.54 ₹990

120.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.76 ₹165

168.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.80 ₹263

71.07%

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

$2.26 ₹213

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.21 ₹19.90

628.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$6.73 ₹632

1333.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.56 ₹52.1

539.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.31 ₹28.91

145.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$1.61 ₹151

954.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.17 ₹110

110.26%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$13.1K ₹1.2M

1119.78%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$23.2K ₹2.2M

571.37%

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

$168 SGD 215

$52.4 ₹4,921

220.50%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$3.15 ₹296

288.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$4.10 ₹385

587.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$13.19 ₹1,239

738.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$6.54 ₹614

77.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$3.26 ₹307

275.46%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$41.59 ₹3,906

4465.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$3,771 ₹354.1K

937.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$5.34 ₹502

1391.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$25.87 ₹2,430

95.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$34.36 ₹3,227

224.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$27.64 ₹2,596

350.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$162 ₹15.2K

1867.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$127 ₹11.9K

1683.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

$281 ₹26.4K

2096.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

$157 ₹14.8K

2465.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$880 ₹82.6K

2578.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$591 ₹55.5K

2695.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

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 Malda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Malda

$127 29.6% 94.4% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Malda

$112 26.1% 75.7% $348

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Malda

$59 13.7% 77.4% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Malda

$60 13.9% 71.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Malda

$42 9.8% 74.6% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Malda

$20 4.6% 85.4% $115

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Malda

$9.7 2.3% 91.2% $100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $162 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $14 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $112 per month, with Malda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 Malda

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

324,237

💱 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 6, 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 6, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Malda 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Malda

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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malda is about 88% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,392 in Singapore and $642 in Malda 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: $3,191 in Singapore versus $162 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 311% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malda – a meal for two runs $14 versus $71 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $428 in Malda versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Malda but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Malda 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 Malda 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.