Moving to India from Singapore
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Singapore to India — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Singapore to India, you would find that India is 77.5% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD96,960 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly ₹856,573 in India to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Singapore to India.
What does your salary buy?
SGD96,960 → ₹856,573
To maintain the same standard of living in India
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 71.9% less
Groceries
pay 75.9% less
Transportation
pay 74.2% less
Housing
pay 86.8% less
Childcare
pay 95.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 74.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Singapore to India, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Singapore and India stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs better than India across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Singapore generally does better on environment, though India leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Singapore generally does better on infrastructure, though India leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Singapore performs better than India across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Singapore generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.
Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Singapore | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
India Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.
Singapore passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in India than Singapore?
Generally yes: India runs about 88% cheaper than Singapore on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to India?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SGD96,960 comparable salary, that's around ₹214,143 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from India?
With 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, India can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Singapore and India.
Is India safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in India is 2.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in India compared to Singapore?
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.3 doctors per 10,000 people in India, compared to 26.0 in Singapore. India scores 63 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in India compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
