Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Timika

For one person, living is cheaper in Timika: $618 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Timika
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Timika Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Timika

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Timika

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $618 in Timika.

Singapore $3,454
Timika $618

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $978 in Timika.

Singapore $5,224
Timika $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $1,337 in Timika.

Singapore $6,994
Timika $1,337

Living in Singapore is roughly 459% more expensive than in Timika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Timika is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$1.70 Rp 30.4K

578.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$13.73 Rp 245.4K

418.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$3.25 Rp 58.1K

169.54%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

254.73%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$0.42 Rp 7,516

335.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$0.23 Rp 4,105

443.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

256.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$3.50 Rp 62.5K

186.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

153.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$1.06 Rp 18.9K

133.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

211.49%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

153.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$7.23 Rp 129.2K

197.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$2.90 Rp 51.8K

228.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$7.40 Rp 132.2K

251.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$2.18 Rp 38.9K

105.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

148.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$1.65 Rp 29.6K

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$1.21 Rp 21.6K

84.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$1.28 Rp 22.9K

95.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$1.98 Rp 35.5K

20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

147.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$0.39 Rp 7,057

287.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

441.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$20.61 Rp 368.5K

15.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

141.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$2.98 Rp 53.3K

53.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$0.29 Rp 5,241

444.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$0.48 Rp 8,512

656.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$0.35 Rp 6,168

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

475.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

217.72%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$23.0K Rp 410.4M

578.95%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

$31.0K Rp 553.4M

370.81%

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

$175 SGD 224

$65.1 Rp 1.2M

168.93%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$4.39 Rp 78.4K

183.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

$19.32 Rp 345.4K

37.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$19.53 Rp 349.0K

471.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

$8.13 Rp 145.4K

48.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$2.76 Rp 49.4K

320.29%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

1490.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$7,610 Rp 136.0M

272.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$44.09 Rp 788.2K

84.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$28.50 Rp 509.4K

77.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

50.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$71.2 Rp 1.3M

82.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$225 Rp 4.0M

1196.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$148 Rp 2.7M

1335.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$553 Rp 9.9M

922.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$357 Rp 6.4M

1010.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$1,176 Rp 21.0M

1906.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$812 Rp 14.5M

1973.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

9.46

-74.21%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Timika: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Timika

$148 24% 93% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Timika

$193 31.2% 57.8% $264

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Timika

$63 10.1% 75.6% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Timika

$89 14.3% 58.5% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Timika

$98 15.8% 41.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Timika

$25 4.1% 81.4% $110

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Timika

$3.4 * 0.6% 96.9% $107

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Singapore and $225 in Timika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $14.00 in Timika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $193 per month, with Timika cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇩 Timika

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

12:00 12:00 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

142,000

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Timika 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Timika

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 Timika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timika is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 459% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,180 in Singapore and $927 in Timika 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,916 in Singapore versus $225 in Timika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,463 in Singapore versus $92.0 in Timika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Timika – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $618 in Timika versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Timika but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Timika the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 459% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.