Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $808 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Surat, India
Singapore, Singapore
Surat
🇮🇳 India
$808
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surat and in Singapore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surat and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Surat versus $3,594 in Singapore.

  • Surat $808
  • Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $861 in Surat versus $5,314 in Singapore.

  • Surat $861
  • Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in Surat versus $7,033 in Singapore.

  • Surat $914
  • Singapore $7,033

Living in Surat costs roughly 78% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surat is 40% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.10 ₹293
$11.58 SGD 14.80
-73.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.72 ₹1,012
$70.7 SGD 90.3
-84.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.25 ₹307
$8.46 SGD 10.81
-61.58%
Cappuccino
$1.87 ₹176
$5.18 SGD 6.62
-63.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 ₹29.99
$1.84 SGD 2.35
-82.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 ₹14.05
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-87.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 ₹296
$9.50 SGD 12.14
-67.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 ₹326
$9.86 SGD 12.60
-65.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.71 ₹66.8
$3.02 SGD 3.86
-76.49%
White Bread (500g)
$0.48 ₹45.21
$2.67 SGD 3.41
-82.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.72 ₹67.6
$2.77 SGD 3.54
-74.01%
Eggs
$0.96 ₹90.6
$3.72 SGD 4.76
-74.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.45 ₹421
$21.01 SGD 26.85
-78.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.86 ₹270
$9.95 SGD 12.71
-71.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$25.13 SGD 32.12
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₹159
$4.59 SGD 5.87
-63.40%
Banana (1kg)
$0.63 ₹59.3
$3.09 SGD 3.95
-79.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.78 ₹74.1
$4.64 SGD 5.93
-83.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.57 ₹54.1
$2.18 SGD 2.78
-73.85%
Potato (1kg)
$0.38 ₹36.08
$2.33 SGD 2.98
-83.69%
Onion (1kg)
$0.44 ₹41.49
$2.31 SGD 2.96
-80.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.50 ₹47.17
$1.86 SGD 2.38
-73.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₹28.05
$1.55 SGD 1.98
-80.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.11 ₹483
$14.11 SGD 18.03
-63.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.47 ₹706
$23.24 SGD 29.70
-67.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 ₹177
$4.73 SGD 6.04
-60.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 ₹283
$4.79 SGD 6.12
-37.37%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.28 ₹593
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Surat
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₹20.82
$1.53 SGD 1.95
-85.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$3.14 ₹297
$96.5 SGD 123
-96.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.65 ₹61.0
$3.58 SGD 4.58
-81.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₹18.89
$0.76 SGD 0.97
-73.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 ₹102
$16.98 SGD 21.70
-93.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ₹109
$2.46 SGD 3.14
-53.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.4K ₹1.1M
$159.4K SGD 203.7K
-92.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K ₹1.8M
$155.7K SGD 199.0K
-87.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$37.48 ₹3,540
$168 SGD 215
-77.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.69 ₹349
$12.24 SGD 15.64
-69.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.46 ₹704
$28.18 SGD 36.02
-73.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.93 ₹1,789
$111 SGD 141
-82.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.23 ₹494
$11.60 SGD 14.83
-54.91%
Cinema Ticket
$2.99 ₹283
$12.24 SGD 15.64
-75.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$33.96 ₹3,208
$1,899 SGD 2,427
-98.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,265 ₹119.5K
$39.1K SGD 50.0K
-96.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.77 ₹2,151
$79.6 SGD 102
-71.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.28 ₹2,388
$50.7 SGD 64.8
-50.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$41.77 ₹3,946
$112 SGD 143
-62.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$32.83 ₹3,101
$125 SGD 159
-73.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surat
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$207 ₹19.6K
$3,191 SGD 4,079
-93.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 ₹46.3K
$2,257 SGD 2,884
-78.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$392 ₹37.0K
$6,173 SGD 7,889
-93.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$242 ₹22.8K
$4,035 SGD 5,157
-94.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$664 ₹62.8K
$23.6K SGD 30.1K
-97.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$370 ₹34.9K
$16.5K SGD 21.1K
-97.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surat
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$283 ₹26.7K
$4,526 SGD 5,784
-93.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.17
2.44
275.82%

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

Last update for Surat: November 2, 2026

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Surat
$490
Singapore
$2.3K 360% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Surat
$102
Singapore
$459 349% $357
Eating Out
Surat
$81
Singapore
$260 219% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Surat
$55
Singapore
$165 199% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surat
$49
Singapore
$208 329% $160
Sport & Entertainment
Surat
$25
Singapore
$135 442% $110
Getting Around
Surat
$5.7
Singapore
$110 1839% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Surat and $3,191 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 16 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Surat vs $71 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $459 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Surat
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
23:17 11:17 PM
01:47 1:47 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Surat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,936,534
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.697 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surat Singapore 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surat
  • Singapore

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
Surat vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surat cheaper than Singapore?
Surat is about 78% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Surat or Singapore?
On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Surat. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Surat and Singapore?
Rent for a central apartment: $207 in Surat versus $3,191 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Surat and in Singapore?
All in, you’ll spend $808 per month in Surat versus $3,594 in Singapore – Surat is about 78% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Surat runs roughly 97% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Surat or in Singapore?
At $808 in Surat versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Surat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Surat or in Singapore?
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.
Which city is safer, Surat or Singapore?
Safety-wise, Surat and Singapore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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