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: $3,569 in Singapore versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,229 in Singapore versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,889 in Singapore versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Singapore is roughly 186% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 165% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 SGD 13.62

$4.59 ฿147

133.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 SGD 99.7

$46.83 ฿1,501

67.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 SGD 9.82

$8.70 ฿279

-11.15%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SGD 6.43

$2.92 ฿93.7

73.29%

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

$1.71 SGD 2.17

$0.68 ฿21.92

151.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.56

$0.40 ฿12.70

207.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 SGD 10.02

$2.51 ฿80.4

214.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 SGD 11.78

$3.80 ฿122

143.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 SGD 3.91

$2.16 ฿69.3

42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 SGD 2.93

$1.88 ฿60.3

22.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 SGD 3.58

$2.16 ฿69.2

30.56%

Eggs

$3.30 SGD 4.19

$2.22 ฿71.2

48.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.14 SGD 24.31

$19.57 ฿627

-2.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 SGD 14.31

$3.80 ฿122

196.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.31 SGD 28.33

$13.41 ฿430

66.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 SGD 5.76

$3.26 ฿104

38.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 SGD 3.66

$1.61 ฿51.7

78.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 SGD 6.15

$2.31 ฿74.0

109.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 SGD 3.49

$2.06 ฿66.0

33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 SGD 3.08

$1.61 ฿51.5

50.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.84

$1.44 ฿46.26

54.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SGD 2.61

$1.03 ฿33.01

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SGD 1.99

$0.48 ฿15.39

227.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.11 SGD 16.65

$4.50 ฿144

191.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.36 SGD 32.21

$19.18 ฿615

32.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 SGD 5.36

$1.82 ฿58.4

131.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 SGD 6.40

$2.69 ฿86.2

87.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 SGD 2.04

$1.38 ฿44.16

15.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 SGD 119

$11.76 ฿377

694.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 SGD 4.65

$3.11 ฿99.6

17.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.96

$1.00 ฿32.18

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.49

$13.74 ฿441

17.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 SGD 2.76

$1.30 ฿41.61

67.69%

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

$140.6K SGD 178.6K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

414.14%

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

$129.5K SGD 164.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

292.24%

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

$159 SGD 202

$125 ฿4,004

27.15%

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

$18.22 SGD 23.13

$13.74 ฿440

32.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.77 SGD 47.97

$18.61 ฿597

102.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 SGD 153

$60.6 ฿1,941

98.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 SGD 15.32

$17.15 ฿550

-29.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 SGD 14.96

$9.01 ฿289

30.74%

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

$1,206 SGD 1,531

$698 ฿22.4K

72.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K SGD 37.5K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

83.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 SGD 103

$59.2 ฿1,898

37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.54 SGD 55.3

$34.86 ฿1,118

24.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SGD 134

$114 ฿3,662

-7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SGD 167

$85.8 ฿2,751

52.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 SGD 4,050

$619 ฿19.8K

415.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 SGD 2,906

$437 ฿14.0K

423.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,085 SGD 7,728

$2,075 ฿66.5K

193.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,740 SGD 4,750

$1,509 ฿48.4K

147.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.4K SGD 29.7K

$3,764 ฿120.7K

521.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.0K

$2,694 ฿86.4K

512.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,293 SGD 5,452

$528 ฿16.9K

712.30%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,189 in Singapore and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 712% 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 in Singapore vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $292 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 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Singapore pays 712% 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: $3,189 in Singapore versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,206 in Singapore versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $3,569 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 186% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.