Moving to India from Singapore

moving to

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 87.6% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD96,000 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly ₹884,000 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 ↓

Is India cheaper than Singapore?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 76.0% less

Groceries

pay 78.5% less

Transportation

pay 83.0% less

Housing

pay 94.4% less

Childcare

pay 95.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 78.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SGD = 74.11 INR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in India?

What does your salary buy?

SGD96,000 → ₹884,000

To maintain the same standard of living in India

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to India

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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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.

Living there in 2020
7,668 ↓ 6% vs 2015

people born in Singapore live in India · UN DESA

Who's moving to India?

Top countries of origin for India's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Singapore and India stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

SG
0.1
IN
2.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SG
1.9
IN
15.4

Singapore performs better than India across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SG
$6,551
IN
$346
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SG
28.3
IN
7.2

Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SG
23.0
IN
83.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SG
9.8t
IN
2.2t

Singapore generally does better on environment, though India leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SG
27.8
IN
3.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SG
33.3%
IN
66.5%

Singapore performs better than India across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SG
2.8%
IN
4.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SG
$98,814
IN
$2,702

Singapore performs better than India across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SG
83.3 yrs
IN
72.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SG
2.2
IN
23.3

Singapore generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2016), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in India vs Singapore

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Singapore Rain: 83.2 in/yr (2113 mm)
89° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Delhi Rain: 28.2 in/yr (716 mm)
88° / 66°F

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 Meteorological Service Singapore, India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department

Can you move from Singapore to India?

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

Singapore passport holder visiting India

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Singapore passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to India.
India passport

India passport holder visiting Singapore

Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Singapore.

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 SGD96,000 comparable salary, that's around ₹221,000 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from India?

With 3.1 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 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people in India, compared to 28.3 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.

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At a Glance

SG IN
Population 6,111,175 1,463,865,525
Currency Singapore Dollar (SGD) Indian Rupee (₹)
Languages Chinese, English, Malay, Tamil English, Hindi, Tamil
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +65 +91
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 112