Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $537 a month against $3,594 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
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Thimphu Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$537

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thimphu 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 Thimphu and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Thimphu versus $3,594 in Singapore.

Thimphu $537
Singapore $3,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $842 in Thimphu versus $5,314 in Singapore.

Thimphu $842
Singapore $5,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,147 in Thimphu versus $7,033 in Singapore.

Thimphu $1,147
Singapore $7,033

Living in Thimphu costs roughly 85% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thimphu is 60% below, Singapore is 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 BTN 247

$11.58 SGD 14.84

-77.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.40 BTN 1,362

$70.7 SGD 90.5

-79.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 BTN 461

$8.46 SGD 10.84

-42.32%

Cappuccino

$1.33 BTN 126

$5.18 SGD 6.64

-74.32%

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

$0.50 BTN 47.22

$1.84 SGD 2.36

-72.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 16.04

$1.23 SGD 1.58

-86.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BTN 255

$9.50 SGD 12.17

-71.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BTN 154

$9.86 SGD 12.63

-83.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 BTN 77.2

$3.02 SGD 3.87

-72.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 BTN 116

$2.67 SGD 3.42

-53.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 BTN 85.5

$2.77 SGD 3.54

-67.51%

Eggs

$2.10 BTN 198

$3.72 SGD 4.77

-43.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 BTN 366

$21.01 SGD 26.92

-81.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 BTN 455

$9.95 SGD 12.75

-51.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 BTN 472

$25.13 SGD 32.20

-80.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 BTN 328

$4.59 SGD 5.88

-24.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BTN 158

$3.09 SGD 3.96

-45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 BTN 159

$4.64 SGD 5.95

-63.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 BTN 99.4

$2.18 SGD 2.79

-51.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 BTN 67.5

$2.33 SGD 2.99

-69.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 BTN 91.3

$2.31 SGD 2.96

-58.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 BTN 38.03

$1.86 SGD 2.39

-78.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 BTN 31.70

$1.55 SGD 1.98

-78.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BTN 395

$14.11 SGD 18.08

-70.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.59 BTN 245

$23.24 SGD 29.78

-88.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BTN 55.4

$4.73 SGD 6.06

-87.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 BTN 105

$4.79 SGD 6.14

-76.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BTN 77.3

$1.53 SGD 1.96

-46.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.42 BTN 512

$96.5 SGD 124

-94.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 BTN 51.2

$3.58 SGD 4.59

-84.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 BTN 151

$0.76 SGD 0.97

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.16 BTN 14.99

$16.98 SGD 21.75

-99.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 BTN 68.6

$2.46 SGD 3.15

-70.33%

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

$16.5K BTN 1.6M

$159.4K SGD 204.2K

-89.62%

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

$15.1K BTN 1.4M

$155.7K SGD 199.5K

-90.27%

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

$34.01 BTN 3,215

$168 SGD 215

-79.75%

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

$36.52 BTN 3,453

$12.24 SGD 15.68

198.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 BTN 2,334

$28.18 SGD 36.11

-12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.44 BTN 4,485

$111 SGD 142

-57.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.52 BTN 711

$11.60 SGD 14.86

-35.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 BTN 300

$12.24 SGD 15.68

-74.10%

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

$44.60 BTN 4,216

$1,899 SGD 2,433

-97.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$589 BTN 55.7K

$39.1K SGD 50.1K

-98.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 BTN 4,767

$79.6 SGD 102

-36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.63 BTN 2,329

$50.7 SGD 65.0

-51.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BTN 6,530

$112 SGD 143

-38.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.42 BTN 1,363

$125 SGD 160

-88.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$130 BTN 12.3K

$3,191 SGD 4,089

-95.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 BTN 8,166

$2,257 SGD 2,892

-96.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 BTN 18.6K

$6,173 SGD 7,910

-96.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 BTN 14.7K

$4,035 SGD 5,170

-96.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,816 BTN 644.4K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-71.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$391 BTN 37.0K

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

-97.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 BTN 33.3K

$4,526 SGD 5,799

-92.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

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

Last update for Thimphu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Singapore: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$143 26.5%

Singapore

$459 12.8% 222% $317

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$95 17.7%

Singapore

$208 5.8% 119% $113

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$86 16.1%

Singapore

$2.3K 62.8% 2513% $2.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.3%

Singapore

$165 4.6% 131% $94

Eating Out

Thimphu

$71 13.2%

Singapore

$260 7.2% 267% $189

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$54 10%

Singapore

$135 3.8% 151% $81

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.2%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 539% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $130 in Thimphu and $3,191 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Thimphu vs $71 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $459 per month, with Thimphu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

2 h ahead of Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.58 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.46 EUR

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.54 BTN (100 BTN = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.46 EUR).

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).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Thimphu Singapore 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
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

Thimphu vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thimphu is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Thimphu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $130 in Thimphu versus $3,191 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $537 per month in Thimphu versus $3,594 in Singapore – Thimphu is about 85% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Thimphu runs roughly 94% less than in Singapore. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $537 in Thimphu versus $3,594 in Singapore, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Thimphu but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Thimphu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thimphu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Singapore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Thimphu and Singapore are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Thimphu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.