Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Sikkim

For one person, living is cheaper in Sikkim: $361 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $38,800 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Sikkim
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Sikkim Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Sikkim

🇮🇳 India

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Sikkim

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

A single person spends $3,594 per month in Singapore vs $361 in Sikkim, rent included.

Singapore $3,594
Sikkim $361

A couple spends around $5,314 per month in Singapore vs $582 in Sikkim, rent included.

Singapore $5,314
Sikkim $582

A family of three spends $7,033 per month in Singapore vs $802 in Sikkim, rent included.

Singapore $7,033
Sikkim $802

Singapore costs about 895% more than Sikkim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 166% above the global median, while Sikkim is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$2.05 ₹192

464.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$10.64 ₹999

564.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$3.71 ₹349

128.03%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$1.58 ₹148

227.85%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.41 ₹38.06

348.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.13 ₹12.19

846.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$1.84 ₹173

416.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$2.94 ₹276

235.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.71 ₹67.0

325.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.48 ₹44.79

456.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.40 ₹37.73

592.50%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.47 ₹138

153.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$4.44 ₹417

373.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$2.84 ₹267

250.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$1.94 ₹183

136.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.67 ₹62.6

361.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$0.90 ₹84.6

415.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.45 ₹42.32

384.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.45 ₹41.95

417.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.53 ₹49.50

335.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.44 ₹41.16

322.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.33 ₹31.02

369.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$2.42 ₹227

483.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$4.16 ₹391

458.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.25 ₹117

278.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.59 ₹243

84.94%

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

$2.72 ₹256

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.21 ₹19.68

628.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$7.10 ₹667

1258.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.82 ₹76.9

336.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.27 ₹25.57

181.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$1.54 ₹145

1002.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.12 ₹105

119.64%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

1294.16%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$19.8K ₹1.9M

688.14%

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

$168 SGD 215

$34.33 ₹3,224

389.19%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$3.28 ₹308

273.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$6.53 ₹614

331.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$14.39 ₹1,351

668.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$6.62 ₹621

75.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$2.88 ₹271

325.00%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$45.67 ₹4,288

4057.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$1,415 ₹132.8K

2665.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$22.01 ₹2,066

261.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$23.30 ₹2,188

117.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$39.04 ₹3,666

185.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$28.82 ₹2,706

332.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$120 ₹11.2K

2563.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$78.0 ₹7,320

2795.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

$271 ₹25.4K

2178.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

$186 ₹17.5K

2068.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$919 ₹86.3K

2464.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$528 ₹49.5K

3030.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

$470 ₹44.2K

861.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

8.86

-72.46%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sikkim: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Sikkim

$78 21.6% 96.5% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Sikkim

$94 26.1% 79.5% $365

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Sikkim

$64 17.6% 75.5% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Sikkim

$44 12.2% 78.8% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Sikkim

$51 14.1% 69.1% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Sikkim

$20 5.6% 85.1% $115

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Sikkim

$10 2.8% 90.8% $100

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,191 in Singapore versus $120 in Sikkim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Singapore are about 9.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Singapore versus $11 in Sikkim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $94 – making Sikkim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 Sikkim

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

610,577

💱 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 Sikkim 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Sikkim

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 Sikkim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 895%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,392 per month in Singapore and $542 in Sikkim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sikkim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $120 there versus $3,191 in Singapore.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Singapore and $11 in Sikkim. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,594 in Singapore and $361 in Sikkim. That makes Sikkim about 90% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sikkim, where all-in costs run around $361, than in Singapore at $3,594. In Sikkim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sikkim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sikkim. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.