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: $3,507 in Singapore versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,136 in Singapore versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,764 in Singapore versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Singapore is roughly 181% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 163% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 SGD 13.90

$4.55 ฿153

136.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 SGD 101

$46.18 ฿1,553

69.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 SGD 9.78

$8.84 ฿297

-14.25%

Cappuccino

$4.84 SGD 6.25

$3.06 ฿103

58.17%

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

$1.70 SGD 2.19

$0.73 ฿24.40

132.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 SGD 1.55

$0.40 ฿13.39

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 SGD 10.13

$2.43 ฿81.8

223.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.15 SGD 11.81

$3.78 ฿127

142.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 SGD 3.96

$2.26 ฿76.0

35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 SGD 3.07

$1.81 ฿60.9

31.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 SGD 3.60

$2.25 ฿75.8

24.00%

Eggs

$3.29 SGD 4.24

$2.25 ฿75.5

46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 SGD 24.78

$19.51 ฿656

-1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 SGD 14.74

$3.65 ฿123

212.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.61 SGD 29.18

$13.05 ฿439

73.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 SGD 5.88

$3.23 ฿109

41.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 SGD 3.85

$1.62 ฿54.4

83.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 SGD 6.40

$2.38 ฿80.1

107.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 SGD 3.53

$2.03 ฿68.1

34.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 SGD 3.25

$1.53 ฿51.6

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 SGD 2.80

$1.50 ฿50.5

44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 SGD 2.52

$0.98 ฿32.91

98.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SGD 1.93

$0.52 ฿17.39

186.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 SGD 17.04

$4.44 ฿149

197.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.04 SGD 29.74

$18.32 ฿616

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 SGD 5.38

$1.86 ฿62.7

124.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 SGD 6.66

$2.68 ฿90.1

92.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 SGD 2.06

$1.41 ฿47.46

12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 SGD 121

$11.70 ฿393

702.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 SGD 4.75

$3.11 ฿105

18.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 SGD 0.94

$1.04 ฿35.06

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.54 SGD 21.35

$14.11 ฿474

17.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 SGD 2.84

$1.31 ฿44.10

67.94%

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

$142.5K SGD 183.9K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

412.28%

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

$127.5K SGD 164.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

283.81%

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

$156 SGD 201

$122 ฿4,118

27.00%

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

$18.63 SGD 24.05

$13.59 ฿457

37.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.75 SGD 48.73

$18.70 ฿629

101.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 SGD 155

$60.5 ฿2,034

98.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.10 SGD 15.61

$16.98 ฿571

-28.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 SGD 14.89

$9.07 ฿305

27.12%

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

$1,190 SGD 1,536

$706 ฿23.8K

68.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K SGD 37.6K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

84.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 SGD 108

$58.6 ฿1,969

42.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 SGD 54.9

$35.36 ฿1,189

20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 SGD 139

$115 ฿3,883

-6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 SGD 166

$83.7 ฿2,816

53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,209 SGD 4,142

$626 ฿21.0K

412.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 SGD 2,968

$445 ฿15.0K

416.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,127 SGD 7,909

$2,040 ฿68.6K

200.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,793 SGD 4,896

$1,492 ฿50.2K

154.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.3K SGD 30.0K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

568.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.4K SGD 21.2K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

536.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,969 SGD 5,124

$500 ฿16.8K

694.03%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,209 in Singapore and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 694% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $289 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 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 694% 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: $3,209 in Singapore versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,190 in Singapore versus $706 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 $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,507 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 181% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.