Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $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
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $613 in Medan.

Singapore $3,500
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $940 in Medan.

Singapore $5,265
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $1,266 in Medan.

Singapore $7,030
Medan $1,266

Living in Singapore is roughly 471% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Medan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

587.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

750.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

189.83%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

239.87%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.35 Rp 6,215

405.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.25 Rp 4,534

392.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

397.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

183.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

173.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

116.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

253.09%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

167.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

160.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

175.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

299.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

90.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

198.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

232.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

139.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

205.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

27.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.38 Rp 6,905

392.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.44 Rp 7,872

227.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

386.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

148.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

47.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$0.27 Rp 4,816

481.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

1481.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$0.51 Rp 9,186

613.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.19 Rp 3,465

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

206.25%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

528.90%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

360.99%

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

$172 SGD 220

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

102.20%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

290.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

537.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

46.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

253.80%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$112 Rp 2.0M

1226.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

1574.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

48.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

30.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$108 Rp 1.9M

3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$111 Rp 2.0M

16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$233 Rp 4.2M

1194.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

2318.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$494 Rp 8.9M

1081.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$212 Rp 3.8M

1809.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

1954.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$560 Rp 10.1M

2893.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$215 Rp 3.9M

1937.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

9.25

-73.62%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Medan

$90 14.6% 95.9% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Medan

$181 29.5% 60.5% $277

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Medan

$59 9.6% 77.1% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 46.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Medan

$140 22.9% 16.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Medan

$24 3.8% 82.1% $108

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 92.1% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 1938% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

10:42 10:42 AM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Singapore Medan 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 471% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1938% higher in Singapore, 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 1481% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $112 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Medan 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 Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 471% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.