Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $3,523 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

Jump to prices

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,523

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in India

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,523 in Singapore versus $399 in India.

Singapore $3,523
India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,260 in Singapore versus $639 in India.

Singapore $5,260
India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,996 in Singapore versus $879 in India.

Singapore $6,996
India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $230 to $813, compared to $3,544–$3,544 in Singapore. City choice carries more weight in India.

Living in Singapore is roughly 782% more expensive than in India on average.

Singapore (159% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.66 SGD 14.95

$2.14 ₹204

444.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SGD 95.2

$10.46 ₹995

610.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 SGD 10.80

$3.80 ₹361

121.84%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SGD 6.51

$1.68 ₹160

202.38%

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

$1.90 SGD 2.43

$0.38 ₹35.99

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 SGD 1.64

$0.15 ₹14.60

753.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SGD 11.11

$1.87 ₹178

363.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 SGD 12.74

$3.18 ₹303

212.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 SGD 3.86

$0.62 ₹59.2

385.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 SGD 3.26

$0.50 ₹47.76

408.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 SGD 3.51

$0.63 ₹60.3

334.92%

Eggs

$3.74 SGD 4.79

$0.96 ₹91.3

289.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.17 SGD 27.13

$4.85 ₹461

336.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 SGD 12.35

$2.84 ₹271

239.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.69 SGD 32.92

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$2.00 ₹190

128.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$0.65 ₹61.4

375.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$0.97 ₹92.3

387.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 SGD 2.91

$0.47 ₹44.30

382.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 SGD 3.32

$0.34 ₹31.87

661.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 SGD 3.08

$0.42 ₹39.73

471.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 SGD 2.50

$0.47 ₹44.39

314.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SGD 1.82

$0.31 ₹29.67

358.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 SGD 18.09

$5.08 ₹483

177.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.34 SGD 29.90

$7.31 ₹695

219.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$1.63 ₹155

181.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 SGD 5.94

$2.76 ₹262

67.75%

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

$5.11 ₹486

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 SGD 2.04

$0.26 ₹24.86

511.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 SGD 123

$8.58 ₹816

1022.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 SGD 4.81

$1.00 ₹94.7

275.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.98

$0.27 ₹25.74

181.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.66 SGD 21.35

$1.54 ₹146

981.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.47 SGD 3.17

$1.07 ₹102

130.84%

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

$154.9K SGD 198.5K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

1281.49%

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

$153.9K SGD 197.2K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

667.56%

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

$173 SGD 222

$37.08 ₹3,527

366.91%

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

$12.14 SGD 15.55

$3.58 ₹340

239.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 SGD 36.80

$7.15 ₹680

301.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 144

$15.00 ₹1,427

649.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.08 SGD 15.47

$7.17 ₹682

68.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 SGD 15.30

$3.20 ₹304

273.12%

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

$1,878 SGD 2,406

$58.8 ₹5,592

3093.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

$1,667 ₹158.5K

1622.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 SGD 101

$23.03 ₹2,191

240.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 SGD 64.3

$24.17 ₹2,299

107.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SGD 141

$41.20 ₹3,918

167.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 SGD 158

$29.62 ₹2,817

317.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 SGD 3,932

$146 ₹13.9K

1995.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 SGD 2,800

$96.4 ₹9,165

2168.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,992 SGD 7,678

$343 ₹32.6K

1647.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,981 SGD 5,101

$234 ₹22.2K

1602.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.8K SGD 29.3K

$1,177 ₹111.9K

1841.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$633 ₹60.2K

2507.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,528 SGD 5,801

$409 ₹38.9K

1007.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

8.93

-72.68%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 26, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

India

$96 24.1% 95.6% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13%

India

$102 25.6% 77.7% $356

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

India

$67 16.7% 74% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.1%

India

$48 12% 77.7% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$163 4.6%

India

$53 13.3% 67.4% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$136 3.9%

India

$21 5.4% 84.3% $115

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

India

$12 3% 89.1% $98

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $3,098 in Singapore, $120 in India. Capital cities: $3,098 in Singapore vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $4,464 in Singapore, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2482% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 573% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 1113% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are about 11 times higher in Singapore, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Singapore.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

2 h 30 min behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,866,139

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore India 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
India

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $3,523 in Singapore, there’s a 782% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $3,098 in Singapore and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability; Singapore may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.