Popular cities
Phuket vs Singapore cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Phuket
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (81%โ), Entry ticket (80%โ), Massage (77%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Phuket 4 vs Singapore 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Phuket | Singapore | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 130$3.94 | S$ 8$6.15 | Phuket โ36% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 80$2.42 | S$ 5$3.85 | Phuket โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 450$13.6 | S$ 45$34.6 | Phuket โ61% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 80$2.42 | S$ 6.5$5 | Phuket โ52% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 110$3.33 | S$ 13$10 | Phuket โ67% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 250$7.58 | S$ 25$19.2 | Phuket โ61% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 12$0.36 | S$ 1.6$1.23 | Phuket โ70% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 25$0.76 | S$ 2.2$1.69 | Phuket โ55% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | S$ 12$9.23 | Phuket โ34% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 100$3.03 | S$ 9$6.92 | Phuket โ56% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 40$1.21 | S$ 1.5$1.15 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 300$9.09 | S$ 20$15.4 | Phuket โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | S$ 200$154 | Phuket โ61% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 16,000$485 | S$ 3,300$2,538 | Phuket โ81% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 50$1.52 | S$ 5$3.85 | Phuket โ61% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | S$ 15$11.5 | Phuket โ21% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | S$ 20$15.4 | Phuket โ70% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 350$10.6 | S$ 60$46.2 | Phuket โ77% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | S$ 70$53.8 | Phuket โ44% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 200$6.06 | S$ 40$30.8 | Phuket โ80% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Phuket or Singapore?
Phuket is 66% cheaper than Singapore. Daily budget $109 vs $249; a month $2,006 vs $7,084.
Which is easier to travel, Phuket or Singapore?
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Phuket and Singapore?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Phuket is about $2,006 and Singapore about $7,084 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.