Cost of Living in Singapore
Summary about cost of living in Singapore, Singapore:
- Family of four estimated monthly costs are 4,055.2$ (5,387.5S$) without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,127.4$ (1,497.9S$) without rent.
- Singapore is 12.3% less expensive than New York (without rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Singapore is, on average, 4.1% lower than in New York.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 10.00 S$ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 S$ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 9.00 S$ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.00 S$ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 S$ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 6.32 S$ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.12 S$ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.42 S$ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 14.37 S$ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 2.48 S$ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.67 S$ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.92 S$ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 11.31 S$ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.49 S$ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 12.40 S$ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.34 S$ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.62 S$ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.26 S$ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.74 S$ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.37 S$ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.34 S$ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.66 S$ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.09 S$ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 30.00 S$ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 5.37 S$ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 6.94 S$ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 15.00 S$ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 1.90 S$ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 128.00 S$ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 S$ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 1.61 S$ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 20.00 S$ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 11.57 S$ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 150,000.00 S$ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 141,668.11 S$ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 217.17 S$ | |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.20 S$ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 47.81 S$ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 151.43 S$ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 17.02 S$ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 14.50 S$ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,657.38 S$ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 36,310.47 S$ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 97.37 S$ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 55.61 S$ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 142.42 S$ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 148.76 S$ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 4,657.79 S$ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 3,239.66 S$ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 9,089.59 S$ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 5,484.68 S$ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,509.93 S$ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,326.56 S$ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,806.35 S$ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 3.09 |
Prices in Singapore
This city had 4766 entries in the past 12 months by 768 different contributors.
Last update: March 2023
Last update: March 2023
Sources and References
Moving to Singapore? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Sign Up for Our Newsletter:
This page in other languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Singapur
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Singapura
|
 ItalianoCosto della Vita a Singapore
|
 FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Singapour
|
 EspañolCosto de Vida en Singapur
|
Moved elsewhere this year due to staggering cost of living and no hopes of owning/renting a home.
Youre better off elsewhere if your a mid-income earner 3-6k SGD /month
If own hdb and public school than may be...
If you are not earning 15k a month and you are coming with the family don’t bother
Your spouse most likely won’t get a job here you can’t freelance as well
House: not central - 3bd - 6.5k
International school - 30k/year - you can send your kid to a local school but as a forigner you can’t choose you can get what’s left; singaporean School system havily focused on tests very competitive; teachers very strict and speak singlish; 0 creativity and team work
Groceries - without alcohol - 3people - 200$ a week
Public transport - the best and the cheapest in the world you truly you don’t need a car here
No theatres, no music scene limited art life
Beautiful parks and greenery
Amazing playgrounds
Good for couple of years as an adventure especially if you are DINK
Taxi on grab.... COE price on web portal :), car on deal site... it keep varies...
https://www.propertyguru.com.sg/listing/23153173/for-rent-marina-bay-residences
Schools\Food and other spending... if someone pay rental/school/tax I guess 8000K even not good enough. But probably work in some cases... no idea any comments?
Horror stories are those paying rental.... As usual like other countries property agents work to keep pushing rental prices up and forcing existing tenants to look somewhere else. Prices has gone up by 70% (as article published). Reality is more complex probably rental double up in some cases and even asking price is going up every month…. infect people become greedy to ask $500 more with each ask…
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/housing-rent-prices-expats-70-increase-landlords-tenants-3060231
the average non-white collar singaporean earns about 2-3k salaries and are able to survive as they don't rent and live with family who own a house. not much of a rental culture in singapore.
a single expat will be able to live comfortably on 5-6k/month if they don't splurge on restaurants daily and take public transport (it takes max 1.5 hours to travel the country from one end to the other on our trains).
if you are bringing school-going kids, private schools for foreigners are expensive (2-3k monthly per kid). companies should cover healthcare insurance.
main expense will be rental. the prices are quite accurate but take note it will keep rising as property prices are skyrocketing in the past few years. a 2 bedroom HDB flat that can house a family of 3 in the suburbs (tampines, yishun, jurong, etc) would be about 2-3.5k give or take, the closer you are to town/city center area it would be around 4-5k.
Condominiums are pricier than HDB flats but have security guards and facilities like swimming pools and slightly more privacy and quietness (but you can run into bad neighbours anywhere). there are no crime hotspots.
usually singaporeans don't live in town unless they have rich families or they want to emulate the high flyer rich businessman lifestyle (i.e. steve in keppel bay in the comments below)
Is a salary of 6000S$ enough for a family of three ( Husband, wife and 1 year old kid)? Can we rent a house for about 3000S$?
https://www.fairprice.com.sg/
https://giant.sg/
https://www.allforyou.sg/
https://coldstorage.com.sg/ - this is at higher price end.
you may watch youtube on Singapore too to source cheap place to eat around the area
if you work in CBD area, high chance of you staying in Orchard - expensive
if you work in Changi, high change of you staying in Bedok, Tampines.
you do not need to stay in Condo/Apartment, for a 2A + 1 Child, renting a 3 room flat is quite decent.
Overall Singapore is a very nice country to live in.
Btw I am a local Singaporean earning only S$4k per month.
* Invest $ 300 and earn $ 3,000 per week
* Invest $ 600 and earn $ 6,000 per week
* Invest $ 1,000 and earn $ 12,000 per week
* Invest $ 2,500 and earn $ 30,000 per week
all in weekly earnings and 100% guaranteed. (Guaranteed payments) Do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Evelyn if you are interested. email: evelynsanchez3054@gmail. com WhatsApp +1 (202) 519-6834
I typical McDonald's meal can be had for as low as S$6.00. A meal from a Hawker center can be easily had for under S$4.00
What grocery store was this data harvested from? If you shop at NTUC Fairprice (where most locals shop) prices are MUCH LOWER.
It seems the prices above are for ex-pats with a large budget who live in the heart of the Central Business District or some other high-end place. The prices listed here are well above what the average citizen would pay.
If you spend like a king, of course no amount of money is going to be good enough for you. If you want to have savings, whether you are getting a 7k or a 15k, be realistic about "eating out". As many have pointed out, Singapore is indeed one of the most expensive countries to live in. But companies here are willing to shell out huge money for expats. No money for school tuition? Consider home tuition or tutor your kids yourself before sending them to schools.. I'd say forget about living in the city, stay further out and take a train. Forget about a car, this will kill you first. medical insurance etc. these should be covered by your company. Buy less junk when shopping for groceries > eat less junk > fall sick less > less hefty medical bills. SIMPLE??? Singapore is a very small country so entertainment is limited to your theme parks, bars, pubs etc, limit them and you won't spend so much. you don't have to go to USS every other month. For the most part, what an average person here would count as entertainment is free - parks, art galleries etc. growing your grey matter for free. For the money you are getting paid, highly likely you'll have much time to enjoy these so often anyway. Not much difference from your home country. BTW, the median salary here in Singapore is about 3.6 ~ 3.8k. I don't see any of them on the streets? Yes we complain, but we make do with what we have. If this is not the life for you and you are worried about the pay, either ask for a higher salary you think would suffice for your high life or don't come here at all.
Basic living cost breakdown would be something like:
Food: SGD400
Transport: SGD100
Mobile phone: SGD20 (40GB mobile plan)
Rent (1 room in a shared apartment, inclusive wifi and utilities): SGD700
Toiletries and other misc: SGD100
Total: SGD 1,320.
Eating at regular restaurants will cost you about SGD20/meal. Tobacco and alcohol are insanely expensive.
Ultra basic life, renting a room, single person, only covering survival:
$1500 SGD per month
Simple, basic life, renting a room, single person:
$3000 SGD per month
Simple, comfortable life, renting a room, single person:
$5000 SGD per month
Comfortable, regular travel and luxury spending, renting an apartment, single person:
$10000 SGD per month
Add $2000 SGD per extra dependent
Singapore is an interesting place where you can live as cheaply or expensively as you desire.
There are construction workers here from Bangladesh earning $500/month, who get by and even send money back home.
Then there are traders and brokers on $15k-$40k a month, that spend every dollar they earn, living the high Life at high-end restaurants and travelling.
The only truly unavoidable high expense is accommodation. Renting a room is the way to get better value with this.
Is this amount suficient for a memeber of 3 in singapore
I'm moving from Malaysia to Singapore. I'm contemplating an offer of SGD9.8k monthly salary (excl bonus). My wife will be working full time as well. We have 2 kids whom we intend to enrol in national primary school. We would need a maid as well.
Please advise if this is comfortable enough. Many thanks
I want to know what the 1 month cost of living is for my family besides me (SGD $ rate)
1)Partner, 6 year daughter and 4 years son
2)School charges with daycare
3)living home for (4 people)
4)Traveling for 5KM.
5)Meal expenses.
1. SGD 4.5k. SGD 2k send back to homeland, SGD 2.5k for living in singapore.
2. Rental sharing Apartment or sharing room ? how much share or per room
3. Transportation by company ? or monthly estimation
4. Meal x 2 (Skip bfst and place it at lunch) Sat and Sun (no bfst, brunch) Dinner (simple meal)
5. Entertainment zero (no shopping, movie, pub and starbuck), Internet(mobile).
6. Estimation x 5 years before reaching 40 at SG.
This is assuming you are expecting a moderately decent lifestyle in Singapore.
No is not enough. Rental itself would be 3k to 4k. School fees for expat is about 1.5k each month
I am expat from Canada and have an offer of SGD 110K from a reputed company in Singapore. This includes bonus paid annually. They will take care of the work pass and other formalities. As per their initial calculation, this is coming to around 7500 per month. Please help if this would be enough for my family of 3 - kid is in 8th grade so will need a good school.
Please help me make an informed decision.
Thanks.
Best Regards
Winston
As per PPP, Your Singapore salary should be 2.5 times the salary you are getting in india, when converted to same currency. Hope this helps.
Studying in Singapore, no doubt, will act as a platform to a brighter future. Driven by excellence, Institutions in Singapore offer a broad-based curriculum and global perspective to equip students with the relevant qualifications and training to succeed in a competitive environment. Hence educational institutions offer the latest and best in educational tools and technologies.
As learning is lifelong, Institutions in Singapore offer a comprehensive range of training and enrichment programmes for executives, professionals and homemakers who place value on equipping themselves to achieve their aspirations. There are many who have chosen Singapore for their education and are happy that they made that decision, we believe they subscribe to what we believe in.