Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Urumqi

For one person, living is cheaper in Urumqi: $605 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $35,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Urumqi
Learn more

Urumqi Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Urumqi

🇨🇳 China

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Urumqi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $605 in Urumqi.

Singapore $3,594
Urumqi $605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $960 in Urumqi.

Singapore $5,314
Urumqi $960

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $1,315 in Urumqi.

Singapore $7,033
Urumqi $1,315

Living in Singapore is roughly 494% more expensive than in Urumqi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Urumqi is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.85

$3.34 ¥22.26

246.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.6

$18.34 ¥122

285.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.85

$5.18 ¥34.53

63.32%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.65

$2.84 ¥18.93

82.39%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.43 ¥2.86

327.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.26 ¥1.74

373.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.18

$1.11 ¥7.41

755.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.65

$1.86 ¥12.38

430.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$1.23 ¥8.17

145.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.87 ¥5.79

206.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.55

$0.65 ¥4.36

326.15%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$1.48 ¥9.85

151.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.94

$5.86 ¥39.09

258.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.76

$2.41 ¥16.08

312.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.23

$9.54 ¥63.6

163.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.89

$2.03 ¥13.50

126.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$1.15 ¥7.66

168.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$1.84 ¥12.29

152.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.78 ¥5.22

179.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.51 ¥3.37

356.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.97

$0.63 ¥4.17

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.55 ¥3.65

238.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.46 ¥3.07

236.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.10

$2.94 ¥19.59

379.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.81

$10.38 ¥69.2

123.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.07

$1.16 ¥7.70

307.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$1.52 ¥10.13

215.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.31 ¥2.08

393.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$18.03 ¥120

435.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.60

$1.47 ¥9.79

143.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.98

$0.31 ¥2.09

145.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.77

$7.38 ¥49.17

130.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.20 ¥8.00

105.00%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.4K

$17.9K ¥119.3K

790.12%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.7K

$14.3K ¥95.2K

989.70%

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

$168 SGD 215

$67.5 ¥450

148.65%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.69

$5.53 ¥36.88

121.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.14

$11.25 ¥75.0

150.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$22.23 ¥148

397.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.88

$10.06 ¥67.0

15.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.70

$5.86 ¥39.08

108.87%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,435

$148 ¥985

1185.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$51.6 ¥344

54.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$22.81 ¥152

122.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$107 ¥713

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$44.15 ¥294

182.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,093

$266 ¥1,773

1099.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,895

$118 ¥788

1808.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,917

$411 ¥2,739

1402.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,175

$253 ¥1,684

1496.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$1,869 ¥12.5K

1160.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$1,175 ¥7,833

1305.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,804

$1,139 ¥7,590

297.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

3.39

-28.02%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Urumqi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Urumqi

$118 19.6% 94.8% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Urumqi

$156 25.8% 66% $303

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Urumqi

$88 14.6% 66% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Urumqi

$84 13.9% 59.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Urumqi

$101 16.8% 38.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Urumqi

$34 5.6% 74.9% $101

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Urumqi

$22 3.7% 79.7% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $266 in Urumqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 4 times 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: $71 in Singapore vs $18 in Urumqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $156 per month, with Urumqi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇨🇳 Urumqi

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

2 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

4,054,369

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Urumqi 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Urumqi

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 Urumqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urumqi is about 83% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Singapore is about 4 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 $266 in Urumqi. 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 $605 in Urumqi – Urumqi is about 83% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Urumqi runs roughly 81% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $605 in Urumqi versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Urumqi but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Urumqi 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.

Expats usually find Urumqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.