Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Thanjavur

For one person, living is cheaper in Thanjavur: $370 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $38,700 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Thanjavur
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Thanjavur Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Thanjavur

🇮🇳 India

$370

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Thanjavur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $370 in Thanjavur.

Singapore $3,594
Thanjavur $370

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $580 in Thanjavur.

Singapore $5,314
Thanjavur $580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $790 in Thanjavur.

Singapore $7,033
Thanjavur $790

Living in Singapore is roughly 872% more expensive than in Thanjavur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Thanjavur is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.85

$1.86 ₹174

522.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.6

$6.51 ₹611

985.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.85

$4.17 ₹392

102.88%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.65

$1.80 ₹169

187.78%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.34 ₹31.80

441.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.15 ₹13.85

720.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.18

$0.71 ₹66.2

1238.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.65

$3.24 ₹304

204.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.55 ₹51.9

449.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.54 ₹50.8

394.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.55

$0.65 ₹61.4

326.15%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$0.65 ₹60.7

472.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.94

$6.17 ₹579

240.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.76

$2.08 ₹195

378.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.23

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.89

$2.87 ₹269

59.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.80 ₹75.3

286.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$1.45 ₹136

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.45 ₹42.62

384.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.48 ₹44.85

385.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.97

$0.39 ₹36.64

492.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.54 ₹50.3

244.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.28 ₹26.07

453.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.10

$3.30 ₹310

327.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.81

$7.15 ₹671

225.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.07

$1.29 ₹121

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.82 ₹265

69.86%

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

$6.83 ₹642

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.23 ₹21.62

565.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$7.08 ₹665

1262.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.60

$1.07 ₹100

234.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.98

$0.33 ₹31.06

130.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.77

$2.12 ₹199

700.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.09 ₹102

125.69%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.4K

$11.0K ₹1.0M

1344.85%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.7K

$20.4K ₹1.9M

662.49%

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

$168 SGD 215

$38.82 ₹3,645

332.61%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.69

$4.12 ₹387

197.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.14

$7.59 ₹713

271.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$13.98 ₹1,313

691.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.88

$6.46 ₹607

79.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.70

$2.31 ₹217

429.87%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,435

$88.2 ₹8,277

2053.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.2K

$2,147 ₹201.5K

1722.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$20.28 ₹1,904

292.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$16.59 ₹1,558

205.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$36.07 ₹3,387

209.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$26.36 ₹2,475

372.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,093

$120 ₹11.3K

2557.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,895

$77.9 ₹7,318

2795.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,917

$265 ₹24.9K

2226.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,175

$186 ₹17.5K

2064.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$932 ₹87.5K

2430.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$534 ₹50.1K

2992.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,804

$211 ₹19.8K

2042.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

9.99

-75.58%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Thanjavur

$78 21.1% 96.5% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Thanjavur

$106 28.7% 76.9% $353

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Thanjavur

$61 16.5% 76.5% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Thanjavur

$51 13.7% 75.7% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Thanjavur

$45 12.1% 72.9% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Thanjavur

$19 5% 86.2% $116

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Thanjavur

$11 2.9% 90.3% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $120 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 21 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $7 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $106 per month, with Thanjavur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 Thanjavur

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

223,000

💱 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 7, 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 93.89 INR (100 INR = 1.07 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 Thanjavur 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Thanjavur

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 Thanjavur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thanjavur is about 90% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Singapore is about 21 times higher, 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: $3,191 in Singapore versus $120 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,594 per month in Singapore versus $370 in Thanjavur – Thanjavur is about 90% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Thanjavur runs roughly 93% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $370 in Thanjavur versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $800 budget is realistic in Thanjavur but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Thanjavur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Thanjavur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.