Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Song Be

For one person, living is cheaper in Song Be: $839 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $31,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,493
/mo nomad
Song Be
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Song Be

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,493 in Singapore versus $839 in Song Be.

  • Singapore $3,493
  • Song Be $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,174 in Singapore versus $1,363 in Song Be.

  • Singapore $5,174
  • Song Be $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,855 in Singapore versus $1,887 in Song Be.

  • Singapore $6,855
  • Song Be $1,887

Living in Singapore is roughly 316% more expensive than in Song Be, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Song Be is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.74 SGD 15.02
$1.92 ₫49.6K
511.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.3 SGD 95.1
$23.01 ₫595.6K
222.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 SGD 11.21
$4.75 ₫123.1K
84.42%
Cappuccino
$5.32 SGD 6.80
$1.85 ₫47.9K
187.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 SGD 2.42
$0.55 ₫14.3K
243.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 SGD 1.55
$0.34 ₫8,819
255.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.46 SGD 10.82
$1.08 ₫28.0K
683.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.83 SGD 12.57
$1.70 ₫44.1K
478.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.91 SGD 3.72
$1.64 ₫42.5K
77.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 SGD 3.22
$1.06 ₫27.4K
137.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$1.06 ₫27.4K
169.81%
Eggs
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$1.62 ₫41.8K
124.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.88 SGD 26.71
$11.93 ₫309.0K
75.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 SGD 12.69
$3.66 ₫94.7K
171.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.77 SGD 32.98
$10.42 ₫269.7K
147.31%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 SGD 6.02
$2.98 ₫77.2K
57.72%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 SGD 3.94
$1.26 ₫32.6K
144.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 SGD 6.06
$1.57 ₫40.7K
201.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 SGD 2.80
$1.25 ₫32.4K
75.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$1.18 ₫30.6K
117.80%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 SGD 2.97
$1.19 ₫30.9K
94.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$0.73 ₫18.8K
154.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 SGD 1.78
$0.52 ₫13.5K
167.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.80 SGD 17.66
$1.25 ₫32.4K
1004.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.29 SGD 29.81
$12.87 ₫333.1K
80.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.77 SGD 6.10
$0.89 ₫23.1K
435.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.69 SGD 6.00
$1.47 ₫38.0K
219.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 SGD 2.04
$0.35 ₫9,126
357.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.0 SGD 123
$6.85 ₫177.5K
1300.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.61 SGD 4.61
$0.74 ₫19.3K
387.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 SGD 1.02
$0.62 ₫16.0K
27.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 SGD 21.28
$3.00 ₫77.7K
454.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.56 SGD 3.28
$0.90 ₫23.4K
184.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$157.0K SGD 200.8K
$31.4K ₫812.5M
400.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$149.8K SGD 191.7K
$29.7K ₫769.5M
404.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$105 ₫2.7M
63.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.13 SGD 15.53
$5.87 ₫152.1K
106.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.02 SGD 35.86
$10.60 ₫274.4K
164.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$25.41 ₫657.8K
325.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.24 SGD 15.67
$7.53 ₫195.0K
62.55%
Cinema Ticket
$12.03 SGD 15.39
$3.82 ₫98.9K
214.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,473 SGD 1,885
$448 ₫11.6M
228.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.7K SGD 36.8K
$24.1K ₫622.7M
19.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.0 SGD 99.9
$52.2 ₫1.4M
49.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9 SGD 65.1
$34.58 ₫895.3K
47.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 SGD 139
$90.9 ₫2.4M
19.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 SGD 158
$94.9 ₫2.5M
29.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,917 SGD 3,733
$362 ₫9.4M
705.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,161 SGD 2,765
$280 ₫7.2M
672.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,769 SGD 7,383
$836 ₫21.6M
590.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,849 SGD 4,925
$675 ₫17.5M
470.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.2K SGD 29.7K
$1,961 ₫50.8M
1081.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.9K SGD 21.7K
$1,360 ₫35.2M
1144.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Song Be
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,547 SGD 5,818
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
8.64
-71.76%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Song Be: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Song Be
$280 87.1% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Song Be
$206 55% $252
Eating Out
Singapore
$258
Song Be
$64 75.2% $194
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$212
Song Be
$122 42.6% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$162
Song Be
$123 24.4% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$132
Song Be
$33 75% $99
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Song Be
$12 89% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,917 in Singapore and $362 in Song Be. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Singapore vs $23.00 in Song Be for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $206 per month, with Song Be cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇻🇳 Song Be
🕒 Local time
00:20 12:20 AM
23:20 11:20 PM
1 h behind Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Song Be 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Song Be

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 Song Be: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Song Be cheaper than Singapore?
Song Be is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 316% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $5,240 in Singapore and $1,259 in Song Be to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Singapore and Song Be?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,917 in Singapore versus $362 in Song Be. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Singapore and in Song Be?
All in, you'll spend $3,493 per month in Singapore versus $839 in Song Be – a 316% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Song Be runs roughly 1301% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Singapore or in Song Be?
At $839 in Song Be versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Song Be but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Song Be the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Singapore or in Song Be?
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.
Which city is safer, Singapore or Song Be?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Song Be are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Song Be gentler on the wallet – expenses run 316% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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