Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Vellore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vellore: $260 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $40,000 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
12

Cost of Living Index in Vellore
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Vellore Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Vellore

🇮🇳 India

$260

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Vellore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,594 in Singapore versus $260 in Vellore.

Singapore $3,594
Vellore $260

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,314 in Singapore versus $448 in Vellore.

Singapore $5,314
Vellore $448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,033 in Singapore versus $636 in Vellore.

Singapore $7,033
Vellore $636

Living in Singapore is roughly 1282% more expensive than in Vellore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 166% above, Vellore is 81% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 SGD 14.84

$1.31 ₹123

783.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 SGD 90.5

$6.98 ₹655

912.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 SGD 10.84

$2.11 ₹198

300.95%

Cappuccino

$5.18 SGD 6.64

$2.05 ₹193

152.68%

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

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$0.36 ₹33.71

411.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.14 ₹13.16

778.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 SGD 12.17

$1.55 ₹145

512.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 SGD 12.63

$3.10 ₹292

218.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 SGD 3.87

$0.48 ₹44.77

529.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SGD 3.42

$0.58 ₹54.7

360.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$0.61 ₹57.0

354.10%

Eggs

$3.72 SGD 4.77

$0.84 ₹78.6

342.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.92

$1.92 ₹181

994.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SGD 12.75

$2.40 ₹225

314.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.20

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$1.62 ₹152

183.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.71 ₹67.0

335.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 SGD 5.95

$0.84 ₹78.6

452.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.79

$0.27 ₹25.06

707.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.99

$0.30 ₹27.70

676.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$0.40 ₹37.43

477.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$0.32 ₹30.19

481.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SGD 1.98

$0.26 ₹24.37

496.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 SGD 18.08

$1.55 ₹146

810.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.24 SGD 29.78

$3.72 ₹349

524.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$1.57 ₹147

201.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.14

$2.58 ₹242

85.66%

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

$5.12 ₹480

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 SGD 1.96

$0.24 ₹22.56

537.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 SGD 124

$5.11 ₹480

1787.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$0.44 ₹41.50

713.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.30 ₹28.38

153.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 SGD 21.75

$1.05 ₹98.2

1517.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 SGD 3.15

$1.10 ₹104

123.64%

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

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

$10.1K ₹943.9K

1485.51%

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

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

$15.3K ₹1.4M

916.42%

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

$168 SGD 215

$31.22 ₹2,932

437.92%

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

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$4.04 ₹380

202.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.18 SGD 36.11

$4.02 ₹378

601.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$8.14 ₹764

1258.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 SGD 14.86

$4.87 ₹457

138.19%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 SGD 15.68

$2.43 ₹228

403.70%

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

$1,899 SGD 2,433

$49.06 ₹4,607

3770.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

$1,444 ₹135.6K

2610.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SGD 102

$8.58 ₹806

828.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SGD 65.0

$18.80 ₹1,765

169.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$21.74 ₹2,041

413.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SGD 160

$25.51 ₹2,396

388.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,191 SGD 4,089

$56.9 ₹5,344

5507.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 SGD 2,892

$31.25 ₹2,935

7122.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,173 SGD 7,910

$169 ₹15.9K

3542.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,035 SGD 5,170

$156 ₹14.7K

2483.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$1,104 ₹103.7K

2034.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$676 ₹63.5K

2343.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 SGD 5,799

$313 ₹29.4K

1347.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.5

-62.46%

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

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vellore: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8%

Vellore

$31 12% 98.6% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$459 12.8%

Vellore

$78 29.9% 83.1% $382

Eating Out

Singapore

$260 7.2%

Vellore

$57 22% 77.9% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$208 5.8%

Vellore

$39 15.1% 81.1% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$165 4.6%

Vellore

$34 12.9% 79.6% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.8%

Vellore

$13 5% 90.4% $122

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Vellore

$8 3.1% 92.7% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,191 in Singapore and $57 in Vellore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Singapore vs $7 in Vellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $78 per month, with Vellore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 Vellore

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

186,000

💱 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 Vellore 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Vellore

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 Vellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vellore is about 93% 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 14 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 $57 in Vellore. 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 $260 in Vellore – Vellore is about 93% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Vellore runs roughly 95% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $260 in Vellore versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vellore but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Vellore 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 Vellore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.