Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Yala

For one person, living is cheaper in Yala: $895 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $31,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
Learn more

Yala Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,493

/mo nomad

Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Yala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,493 in Singapore versus $895 in Yala.

Singapore $3,493
Yala $895

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,174 in Singapore versus $1,487 in Yala.

Singapore $5,174
Yala $1,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,855 in Singapore versus $2,079 in Yala.

Singapore $6,855
Yala $2,079

Living in Singapore is roughly 290% more expensive than in Yala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Yala is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.74 SGD 15.02

$1.51 ฿50.3

677.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SGD 95.1

$24.70 ฿825

200.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.21

$6.73 ฿225

30.16%

Cappuccino

$5.32 SGD 6.80

$1.92 ฿64.0

177.08%

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

$1.89 SGD 2.42

$0.56 ฿18.76

237.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SGD 1.55

$0.16 ฿5.42

656.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SGD 10.82

$1.90 ฿63.4

345.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 SGD 12.57

$3.30 ฿110

197.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 SGD 3.72

$1.54 ฿51.3

88.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SGD 3.22

$1.22 ฿40.90

106.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$1.33 ฿44.51

115.04%

Eggs

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$1.79 ฿59.7

103.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.88 SGD 26.71

$18.29 ฿611

14.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 SGD 12.69

$2.96 ฿98.8

235.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.77 SGD 32.98

$9.26 ฿309

178.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 SGD 6.02

$3.02 ฿101

55.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 SGD 3.94

$1.14 ฿37.97

170.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 SGD 6.06

$2.09 ฿69.7

126.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 SGD 2.80

$1.95 ฿65.3

12.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$1.57 ฿52.3

63.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 SGD 2.97

$0.97 ฿32.44

139.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$1.17 ฿39.17

58.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SGD 1.78

$0.53 ฿17.62

162.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 SGD 17.66

$4.87 ฿163

183.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.29 SGD 29.81

$16.33 ฿546

42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 SGD 6.10

$1.64 ฿54.8

190.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 SGD 6.00

$2.58 ฿86.2

81.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 SGD 2.04

$0.61 ฿20.44

162.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 SGD 4.61

$1.12 ฿37.42

222.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 SGD 1.02

$1.31 ฿43.70

-39.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 SGD 21.28

$6.43 ฿215

158.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 SGD 3.28

$1.42 ฿47.43

80.28%

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

$157.0K SGD 200.8K

$26.5K ฿887.0K

491.32%

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

$149.8K SGD 191.7K

$26.5K ฿887.1K

464.44%

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

$172 SGD 220

$85.4 ฿2,853

101.19%

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

$12.13 SGD 15.53

$11.99 ฿401

1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.02 SGD 35.86

$19.46 ฿650

43.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$44.07 ฿1,473

145.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.24 SGD 15.67

$13.69 ฿458

-10.59%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 SGD 15.39

$6.63 ฿222

81.45%

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

$1,473 SGD 1,885

$589 ฿19.7K

150.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

$11.3K ฿376.2K

155.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 SGD 99.9

$45.88 ฿1,533

70.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 SGD 65.1

$32.27 ฿1,079

57.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 SGD 139

$77.6 ฿2,592

40.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SGD 158

$80.9 ฿2,704

52.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 SGD 3,733

$475 ฿15.9K

514.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 SGD 2,765

$289 ฿9,662

647.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,769 SGD 7,383

$1,169 ฿39.1K

393.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,849 SGD 4,925

$759 ฿25.4K

407.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.2K SGD 29.7K

$1,762 ฿58.9K

1215.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K SGD 21.7K

$1,405 ฿46.9K

1105.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,547 SGD 5,818

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.57

-56.19%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Yala: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 61.8%

Yala

$289 32.3% 86.6% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Yala

$241 26.9% 47.3% $217

Eating Out

Singapore

$258 7.4%

Yala

$74 8.3% 71.3% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$212 6.1%

Yala

$117 13.1% 44.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$162 4.7%

Yala

$106 11.9% 34.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$132 3.8%

Yala

$57 6.4% 56.6% $75

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Yala

$10 * 1.1% 90.8% $100

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 $2,917 in Singapore and $475 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Singapore vs $25.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $241 per month, with Yala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Yala

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

22:28 10:28 PM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

60,617

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Yala 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Yala

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 Yala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 290% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,240 in Singapore and $1,343 in Yala 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: $2,917 in Singapore versus $475 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,473 in Singapore versus $589 in Yala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $74.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $895 in Yala versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yala but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Yala 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 Yala 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 Yala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 290% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.