Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Varkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkala: $383 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $38,500 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 Varkala
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Varkala Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Varkala

🇮🇳 India

$383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Varkala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $383 in Varkala.

Singapore $3,594
Varkala $383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $608 in Varkala.

Singapore $5,314
Varkala $608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $833 in Varkala.

Singapore $7,033
Varkala $833

Living in Singapore is roughly 840% more expensive than in Varkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$2.28 ₹214

407.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$10.35 ₹972

582.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$3.45 ₹324

145.22%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$1.57 ₹148

229.94%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.37 ₹34.98

397.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.18 ₹16.45

583.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$1.76 ₹165

439.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.13 ₹294

215.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.71 ₹66.9

325.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.45 ₹42.20

493.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.66 ₹61.8

319.70%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$0.89 ₹83.7

317.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$4.87 ₹457

331.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$2.99 ₹281

232.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$2.05 ₹192

123.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.74 ₹69.7

317.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$0.98 ₹92.1

373.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.54 ₹50.5

303.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.38 ₹35.76

513.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.43 ₹39.99

437.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.45 ₹41.95

313.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.32 ₹29.90

384.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$3.89 ₹365

262.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$7.48 ₹702

210.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.69 ₹159

179.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.76 ₹259

73.55%

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

$5.59 ₹524

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.28 ₹26.19

446.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$8.77 ₹824

999.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.83 ₹77.9

331.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.25 ₹23.22

204.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$1.43 ₹134

1087.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.16 ₹109

112.07%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

1054.96%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$22.2K ₹2.1M

599.92%

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

$168 SGD 215

$38.26 ₹3,593

338.94%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$3.52 ₹330

247.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$7.13 ₹669

295.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$15.61 ₹1,466

608.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$7.10 ₹667

63.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$2.85 ₹268

329.47%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$51.9 ₹4,875

3557.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$1,542 ₹144.8K

2437.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$24.46 ₹2,297

225.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$24.88 ₹2,337

103.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$41.84 ₹3,929

166.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$30.94 ₹2,905

302.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$123 ₹11.6K

2491.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$75.4 ₹7,084

2891.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

$274 ₹25.7K

2156.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

$179 ₹16.8K

2154.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$1,051 ₹98.7K

2141.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$599 ₹56.3K

2655.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

8.67

-71.86%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Varkala: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Varkala

$75 19.7% 96.7% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Varkala

$105 27.5% 77.1% $354

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Varkala

$65 16.9% 75.1% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Varkala

$49 12.8% 76.5% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Varkala

$55 14.4% 66.7% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Varkala

$21 5.6% 84.2% $114

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Varkala

$12 3.1% 89.1% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $123 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $10 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $105 per month, with Varkala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 Varkala

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

50,000

💱 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 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 Varkala 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Varkala

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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varkala is about 89% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,392 in Singapore and $574 in Varkala 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: $3,191 in Singapore versus $123 in Varkala. 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 $383 in Varkala – Varkala is about 89% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Varkala runs roughly 91% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $383 in Varkala versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala 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 Varkala are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.