Social media users are comparing the cost of living in countries across the world. The conversations were sparked by a viral post from Thomas Sanlis, where he broke down the monthly cost of living in France. The post has exploded on X (formerly Twitter) with nearly 10 million views in three days.
Since then, hundreds of X users have shared the cost of living in their own parts of the world. The conversation that began with France now spans countries like Singapore, the Netherlands, India, Austria and many more.
Cost of living in France
According to Sanlis, his monthly cost of living in France adds up to roughly 2,372€ ( ₹2.5 lakh). This includes EMIs of 1,400 euros, 450 euros spent on groceries, 160 euros on electricity and other miscellaneous expenses.
In the comments section, Sanlis noted how the cost of groceries has been rising steadily in France. “Two years before my monthly food budget was 250€,” he said.
Cost of living in Singapore
Sanlis’s post sparked a viral conversation on how much it costs to live a decent life in countries across the world.
Avery, a software engineer, broke down the cost of living in Singapore, which consistently ranks among the world’s most expensive countries. Avery said that she spends around 1,200 USD ( ₹1 lakh) in Singapore every month. The figure includes S$800 for food and groceries, S$300 for shopping and going out, S$80 for gym membership and other expenses.
Avery did confess that she manages to save a massive amount of money as she lives with her parents and does not have to pay rent.
Another person broke down their cost of living in Singapore, and this time it included a rent of S$1500. The rent component significantly increased the person’s cost of living, to the point where they spent upwards of 2207 USD ( ₹2 lakh) every month.
Cost of living in the Netherlands
Ayda Golahmadi, co-founder of Starnus, revealed that she and her partner spend €3,870 a month living in the Netherlands — which is approximately ₹4.1 lakh per month.
Golahmadi explained that €1,500 goes towards rent, €400 on transport, €800 on groceries for two people, and €400 on social life. Other smaller expenses include gas, electricity, online orders, subscriptions etc.
Cost of living in India
Kartikey Singh said that he spends $633/month or ₹57,000/month living in a tier-1 city in India. His expenses include a rent of $167 in a shared apartment, $111 on going out, another $167 on petrol for his bike and car, $33 as cook’s salary and more.