Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,651 in Singapore versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,223 in Singapore versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,796 in Singapore versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Singapore is roughly 189% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 172% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.73 SGD 13.78

$4.70 ฿153

128.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 SGD 101

$45.37 ฿1,482

72.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 SGD 10.13

$8.43 ฿275

-6.52%

Cappuccino

$4.92 SGD 6.32

$2.93 ฿95.6

67.92%

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

$1.63 SGD 2.10

$0.69 ฿22.40

136.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.37 ฿11.99

232.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 SGD 10.08

$2.41 ฿78.6

225.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 SGD 12.34

$3.72 ฿122

158.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 SGD 3.95

$2.23 ฿72.9

37.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 SGD 3.10

$1.83 ฿59.8

31.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 SGD 3.61

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.49%

Eggs

$3.37 SGD 4.34

$2.21 ฿72.3

52.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 SGD 24.85

$19.74 ฿645

-2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 SGD 14.59

$3.63 ฿119

212.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.95 SGD 29.49

$13.53 ฿442

69.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 SGD 5.81

$3.28 ฿107

37.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SGD 3.78

$1.61 ฿52.6

82.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 SGD 6.25

$2.41 ฿78.6

101.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 SGD 3.38

$2.08 ฿68.1

26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 SGD 3.18

$1.53 ฿49.93

61.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 SGD 2.78

$1.48 ฿48.36

45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 SGD 2.58

$0.99 ฿32.29

103.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.94

$0.51 ฿16.67

196.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.24 SGD 17.01

$4.41 ฿144

200.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.27 SGD 32.47

$19.38 ฿633

30.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.31 SGD 5.54

$1.78 ฿58.1

142.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 SGD 6.68

$2.71 ฿88.6

91.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$1.37 ฿44.79

15.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 SGD 120

$11.39 ฿372

722.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 SGD 4.50

$3.02 ฿98.6

16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 SGD 1.00

$0.99 ฿32.48

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.11 SGD 20.70

$14.10 ฿461

14.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 SGD 2.82

$1.36 ฿44.51

61.76%

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

$142.1K SGD 182.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

404.04%

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

$129.1K SGD 165.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

292.41%

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

$160 SGD 205

$122 ฿3,975

31.41%

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

$18.36 SGD 23.58

$13.57 ฿443

35.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 SGD 46.98

$18.31 ฿598

99.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$117 SGD 150

$60.2 ฿1,967

94.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 SGD 15.92

$17.14 ฿560

-27.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 SGD 14.97

$8.69 ฿284

34.06%

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

$1,184 SGD 1,521

$693 ฿22.6K

70.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.9K SGD 38.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

90.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 SGD 106

$59.5 ฿1,944

38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.04 SGD 55.3

$34.77 ฿1,136

23.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SGD 138

$115 ฿3,743

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SGD 168

$83.3 ฿2,720

57.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,101 SGD 3,984

$613 ฿20.0K

405.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 SGD 2,929

$437 ฿14.3K

421.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,201 SGD 7,967

$2,094 ฿68.4K

196.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,793 SGD 4,873

$1,509 ฿49.3K

151.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.5K SGD 30.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

526.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

531.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,285 SGD 5,505

$508 ฿16.6K

743.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

5.33

-40.15%

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

Last update for Singapore: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,101 in Singapore and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 743% 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: $78.0 in Singapore vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 189% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Singapore pays 743% more on average, 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: $3,101 in Singapore versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,184 in Singapore versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,651 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Singapore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.