India
SingaporeCompare countries · India vs Singapore
India vs Singapore
IndiaSouthern Asia
SingaporeSouth-Eastern Asia
The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of India and all but essential travel to other areas.India is cheaper (cost of living 18.9 vs 87.7).Singapore is more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.435 vs 2.409), scores higher on human development (0.946 vs 0.685) and has the higher income per person ($81,760 vs $2,760).It also has the longer life expectancy (83.3 vs 72.2 years).
Safety
Singapore is the more peaceful
- Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
- India2.409Medium safety#126 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
- Singapore1.435Very high safety#8 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
- Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
- India2.8ModerateUNODC / World Bank · 2022
- Singapore0.1Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
- Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
- India55.8ModerateNumbeo · 2026
- Singapore77.5Very highNumbeo · 2026
- UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
- IndiaAgainst all travel to parts, all but essential to other areasFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
- SingaporeNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
Money
Income per person is higher in Singapore
- GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
- India$2,760LowWorld Bank · 2025
- Singapore$81,760Very highWorld Bank · 2025
- Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
- India18.9Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
- Singapore87.7Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Health
People live longer in Singapore
- Life expectancyyears, at birth
- India72.2Moderate#117 of 195World Bank · 2024
- Singapore83.3Very high#12 of 195World Bank · 2024
Work and internet
Broadband is faster in Singapore
- Home internetmedian download speed
- India62 MbpsFast#96 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
- Singapore421 MbpsVery fast#1 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
How it changed
Human development: Singapore 0.946, India 0.685
IndiaSingapore
UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.
Practical facts
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Singapore
- Population
- 1.46B (2025)
- 6.1M (2025)
- Languages
- English, Hindi, Tamil
- English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil
- Currency
- Indian rupee (INR)
- Singapore dollar (SGD)
- Area
- 2,973,190 km²
- 718 km²
- Plug type
- Type D/M
- Type G
- Drives on the
- left
- left
- Short visit
- Visa needed for UK, EU and US passports
- Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.
Every figure
India and Singapore, side by side
India leads on 15 Singapore on 45104 figures. 10 are held for only one country; the other shows a dash. Rows such as population, religion and tax levels have no better or worse end, so they show both values and no verdict. Level means under 2% apart.
Money and cost22
- PPP / Cap aheadWorld Bank · 2025
- $11,748Low
- $163,354Very high
- GDP / Cap aheadWorld Bank · 2025
- $2,702Low
- $98,814Very high
- GNI / Cap aheadWorld Bank · 2025
- $2,760Low
- $81,760Very high
- Local purchasing power aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 76.4High
- 105.5High
- Cost of Living aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 18.9Very affordable
- 87.7Very expensive
- Cost of living with rent aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 12.4Very low
- 81.2Very high
- Rent index aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 4.3Very affordable
- 73.1Very expensive
- Groceries index aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 21.6Very low
- 77.3Very high
- Restaurant prices index aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 15.6Very low
- 55.5High
- Property Price-to-Income aheadNumbeo Property Investment · 2026
- 11.0Affordable
- 22.1Very expensive
- Price level ratio aheadWorld Bank ICP
- 0.387Very low
- 1.332Very high
- Inflation aheadWorld Bank · 2025
- 2.4%Moderate
- 0.9%Very low
- Pension ReplacementOECD Pensions at a Glance · 2024
- 39.2%Low
- —
- Bank Account aheadWorld Bank Global Findex · 2024
- 89%High
- 98%Very high
- Send Remittance aheadWorld Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide · 2023
- 0.5%Very low
- 2%Very low
- Top Income TaxWikipedia · 2024
- 39%
- 22%
- Corporate TaxWikipedia · 2024
- 22%
- 17%
- VAT / GSTWikipedia · 2024
- 18%
- 9%
- Tax RevenueWorld Bank · 2022–2024
- 6.9%
- 13.6%
- GDP (total)World Bank · 2025
- $3,956 bn
- $604 bn
- FDI InflowsWorld Bank · 2025
- 1%
- 26.3%
- Innovation aheadWIPO Global Innovation Index · 2025
- 38.2High
- 59.9Very high
Work2
- UnemploymentWorld Bank · 2025
- 4.2%
- 2.8%
- Public Holidaysdate.nager.at · 2025
- —
- 11
Equality6
- Income InequalityWorld Bank · 2022
- 25.5Very low
- —
- Income Share Bot. 20%World Bank · 2022
- 10.4Very high
- —
- Income Share Top 10%World Bank · 2022
- 22.1Very low
- —
- Poverty RateWorld Bank · 2022
- 82.1%Very high
- —
- Gender Inequality aheadUNDP Human Development Report · 2023
- 0.403Moderate
- 0.031Very low
- Inequality-Adj. HDI aheadUNDP HDR
- 0.475Low
- 0.823Very high
Safety9
- Peace Index aheadIEP Global Peace Index · 2026
- 2.409Medium safety
- 1.435Very high safety
- Safety aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 55.8Moderate
- 77.5Very high
- Homicides / 100k aheadUNODC / World Bank · 2022–2023
- 2.8Moderate
- 0.1Very low
- Assault Rate aheadUNODC CTS · 2013–2023
- 25.8Moderate
- 6.7Low
- Robbery Rate aheadUNODC CTS · 2013–2024
- 2.8Very low
- 0.36Very low
- Sexual Violence Rate aheadUNODC CTS · 2013–2023
- 9Low
- 33.9Moderate
- Kidnapping Rate aheadUNODC CTS · 2011–2013
- 5.1Very high
- 0.00Very low
- Road Deaths / 100k aheadWHO GHO · 2021
- 14.6Moderate
- 1.9Very low
- Disaster Risk aheadWorld Risk Index · 2022
- 42.3Very high
- 0.810Very low
Health16
- Life Expectancy aheadWorld Bank · 2024
- 72.2Moderate
- 83.3Very high
- Infant Mortality aheadWorld Bank · 2024
- 23.3High
- 2.2Very low
- Healthcare Quality aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 65.5Good
- 71.9Good
- UHC Service Coverage aheadWHO GHO · 2023
- 69Low
- 88Very high
- Physicians / 1k aheadWorld Bank · 2020–2022
- 0.720Low
- 2.8High
- Hospital Beds aheadWorld Bank · 2021–2023
- 1.600Low
- 2.8Moderate
- Out-of-Pocket Health % aheadWorld Bank · 2023
- 43.9%High
- 25.4%Moderate
- Healthcare SpendWorld Bank · 2023
- $85
- $3,922
- Clean Water aheadWorld Bank · 2024
- 95.7%Moderate
- 100%Very high
- PM2.5 concentration aheadWHO GHO · 2023
- 42.5Very high
- 11.8Low
- Air-pollution Deaths / 100k aheadWHO GHO · 2021
- 131.3High
- 19.1Very low
- Obesity aheadWHO GHO · 2024
- 8%Very low
- 17%Low
- Tobacco Use aheadWHO GHO · 2020–2023
- 25.4%High
- 14%Low
- Raised Blood Glucose aheadWHO GHO · 2014
- 8.7%Moderate
- 7.9%Moderate
- Suicide Rate / 100k aheadWHO GHO · 2021
- 12.6High
- 8.1Moderate
- Alcohol L / capitaWHO GHO · 2024
- 5.2
- 2.2
Education and getting online8
- PISA MathOECD PISA Results · 2022
- —
- 575Very high
- PISA ReadingOECD PISA Results · 2022
- —
- 543Very high
- PISA ScienceOECD PISA Results · 2022
- —
- 561Very high
- Education SpendWorld Bank · 2022–2024
- 4.1%
- 2.2%
- English Proficiency aheadEF English Proficiency Index · 2025
- 484Low
- 700Native
- Internet aheadWorld Bank · 2024–2025
- 70%Low
- 94.4%Very high
- Home internet speed aheadOokla Speedtest Global Index · 2025
- 62 MbpsFast
- 421 MbpsVery fast
- Mobile internet speed aheadOokla Speedtest Global Index · 2025
- 129 MbpsHigh
- 200 MbpsVery high
Governance and freedom8
- Rule of Law aheadWorld Bank WGI · 2025
- -0.13Moderate
- 1.49Very high
- Corruption aheadWorld Bank WGI · 2025
- -0.28Moderate
- 1.97Very high
- Political Stability aheadWorld Bank WGI · 2025
- -0.61Low
- 1.33Very high
- Government Effectiveness aheadWorld Bank WGI · 2025
- 0.50High
- 2.09Very high
- Regulatory Quality aheadWorld Bank WGI · 2025
- -0.17Moderate
- 2.11Very high
- Democracy aheadEIU Democracy Index · 2025
- 7High
- 6.2Moderate
- Freedom House aheadFreedom House · 2025
- 62Moderate
- 48Moderate
- Press Freedom aheadRSF World Press Freedom Index · 2026
- 32Difficult
- 44.6Problematic
Quality of life10
- Human Development aheadUNDP Human Development Report · 2023
- 0.685Medium
- 0.946Very high
- Happiness aheadWorld Happiness Report · 2026
- 4.54Very low
- 6.58Moderate
- Quality of life index aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 122.3Low
- 158.1Moderate
- Climate index aheadNumbeo · 2026
- 65.2Good
- 57.5Fair
- WHR: GDPWorld Happiness Report · 2026
- 1.397
- 2.2
- WHR: Social SupportWorld Happiness Report · 2026
- 0.732
- 1.471
- WHR: Healthy Life Exp.World Happiness Report · 2026
- 0.298
- 1.059
- WHR: FreedomWorld Happiness Report · 2026
- 1.015
- 0.980
- WHR: GenerosityWorld Happiness Report · 2026
- 0.121
- 0.145
- WHR: Corruption TrustWorld Happiness Report · 2026
- 0.124
- 0.512
People and planet20
- PopulationWorld Bank · 2025
- 1,463,865,525
- 6,111,175
- AreaWorld Bank
- 2,973,190 km²
- 718 km²
- Median AgeWorld Bank age-group shares
- 33.9
- 40.8
- Population GrowthWorld Bank · 2025
- 0.89%
- 1.22%
- Urban PopulationWorld Bank · 2025
- 35.7%
- 100%
- Net MigrationWorld Bank · 2025
- -495,753
- 16,892
- Foreign-Born %UN DESA International Migrant Stock · 2024
- 0.3%
- 48.7%
- Fertility RateWorld Bank · 2024
- 1.96
- 0.97
- ChristianPew Research · 2020
- 2.2%
- 18.8%
- MuslimPew Research · 2020
- 15.2%
- 16.1%
- HinduPew Research · 2020
- 79.4%
- 5.3%
- BuddhistPew Research · 2020
- 0.7%
- 30.8%
- JewishPew Research · 2020
- 0%
- 0%
- UnaffiliatedPew Research · 2020
- 0%
- 19.9%
- Other religionsPew Research · 2020
- 2.5%
- 9.1%
- CO₂ / Capita aheadWorld Bank · 2024
- 2.2Moderate
- 9.8Very high
- Renewables aheadWorld Bank · 2021
- 34.9%High
- 1.1%Very low
- Forest CoverWorld Bank · 2023
- 24.5%
- 20.9%
- Climate Vulnerability aheadND-GAIN Country Index · 2023
- 0.485High
- 0.389Low
- Climate Readiness aheadND-GAIN Country Index · 2023
- 0.394Moderate
- 0.800Very high
Other3
- LiteracyWorld Bank · 2021–2024
- 78.2%
- 97.7%
- Mobile MoneyWorld Bank Global Findex · 2024
- 23.1%
- 56.5%
- Receive RemittanceWorld Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide · 2023
- 1.8%
- —
Quick answers
Is India cheaper than Singapore?
Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts India at 18.9 and Singapore at 87.7. India is about 78% cheaper overall.
Is India or Singapore safer?
On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), India scores 2.41 and Singapore scores 1.44. Singapore ranks as the more peaceful of the two.
Which has the higher quality of life, India or Singapore?
On the UN Human Development Index, India scores 0.685 and Singapore scores 0.946. Singapore scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.
What is life like in India compared to Singapore?
GNI per capita runs $2,760 in India against $81,760 in Singapore; people live 72.2 years on average against 83.3; Numbeo users rate healthcare 66 against 72. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.