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Cost of living in Singapore

Cost of living

Rent is the swing factor in Singapore: it can be anywhere from a third to half of a single person's budget. Food is the counterweight, because hawker centres serve full meals for USD 3 to 6, which is why many singles barely cook. Public transport is cheap and comprehensive, and cars are a luxury nobody needs: a Certificate of Entitlement alone costs over USD 67,000.

The budget band below (USD 2,800-3,900 a month) assumes a one-bedroom condo in the city fringe, hawker-plus-groceries food, MRT commuting, and private health insurance. Sharing an HDB room can cut the total toward USD 1,500, while a central condo pushes it past USD 4,500.

Rent

ItemCostDetailsReviewedSource
1-bed condo, city fringe (Tiong Bahru / Queenstown)SGD 3,300-4,900 (USD 2,500-3,700)/moJuly 2026 asking medians: Alexis USD 2,500, One Pearl Bank USD 3,100, Tiong Bahru Estate USD 3,700. PropertyGuru Oct 2026 listing: 441 sqft 1-bed at Stirling Residences, Queenstown, USD 2,900.Oct 2026LyteLease
1-bed condo, island-wide typicalSGD 3,900 (USD 2,900)/moTypical 1-bed condo rent in early 2026; growth slowed to about 3% year on year. Furnished units command a USD 220-370 premium.Oct 2026Bamboo Routes
1-bed condo, suburbs / heartlandsSGD 1,500-2,200 (USD 1,100-1,600)/moTampines, Woodlands, Jurong, Punggol. Moving out of the core cuts rent 25-40% with MRT still close.Oct 2026BrigenAI
Room rental (shared flat)SGD 600-1,800 (USD 450-1,300)/moAround USD 450 for an HDB room, up to USD 1,300 for a condo room. The budget route for the first months.Oct 2026BrigenAI
Whole HDB flat, 3-room (median rental approval)SGD 2,850 (USD 2,100)/moTampines median, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026, from HDB rental approvals on data.gov.sg. Owner-declared, not verified by HDB. Non-citizens can rent a whole flat only from a citizen owner who has met the 5-year minimum occupation period, with HDB approval and a 6-month minimum tenancy.Oct 2026Propwise

Groceries

ItemCostDetailsReviewedSource
Hawker centre mealSGD 4-8 (USD 3-6)/mealFull cooked meals at hawker centres and food courts, the daily default for most residents.Oct 2026Superb Attestation
Monthly groceries, one personSGD 400-600 (USD 300-450)/moCooking at home with supermarket shopping (NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong). Eating out daily pushes food well above this.Oct 2026uhomes
Monthly food total, single professional (hawker mix)SGD 500-850 (USD 370-630)/moStashAway 2026: USD 370 for a hawker-heavy budget, USD 630 for a moderate single professional mixing cafes.Oct 2026StashAway

Transport

ItemCostDetailsReviewedSource
Adult monthly concession pass (MRT + bus)SGD 128 (USD 95)/moUnlimited MRT and bus travel for adults, the standard commuter option.Oct 2026uhomes
Single MRT/bus tripSGD 1.20-2.50 (USD 0.89-2)/tripDistance-based fares; most commutes stay inside this band.Oct 2026Rainbow Classes
Monthly public transport spend, typicalSGD 100-180 (USD 74-130)/moDaily commuting without the concession pass lands in this range.Oct 2026Superb Attestation

Utilities

ItemCostDetailsReviewedSource
Electricity, SP Group regulated tariff21.3 US cents/kWh (SGD 28.59)Oct to Dec 2026, before GST (23.2 US cents with 9% GST). SP Group average monthly electricity for a private apartment: USD 120 before GST.Oct 2026Little Big Red Dot
Utilities, one personSGD 80-200 (USD 60-150)/moElectricity, water, gas for a small household. Air conditioning is the main driver: heavy use pushes toward the top.Oct 2026Superb Attestation
Home internet (fibre)SGD 30-60 (USD 22-45)/moTypical 1 Gbps fibre plans from major providers.Oct 2026Superb Attestation
Mobile planSGD 10-40 (USD 7.5-30)/moSIM-only plans start around USD 7.5; USD 22-30 buys generous data.Oct 2026Superb Attestation

School fees

ItemCostDetailsReviewedSource
International school, premium tier (Tanglin Trust)SGD 36,300-58,080 (USD 27,000-43,300)/yrPublished 2026/27 schedule including GST: Nursery USD 27,000, Sixth Form USD 43,300. One-time application, enrolment and capital levy total USD 7,400 for new students.Oct 2026CSI Education
International school, premium tier (UWCSEA)SGD 39,069-49,926 (USD 29,100-37,200)/yrPublished 2026/27 schedule including GST: K1-Grade 1 USD 29,100, Grades 11-12 USD 37,200.Oct 2026DollarSends
International school, premium tier (Singapore American)SGD 37,640-43,780 (USD 28,000-32,600)/yrPublished 2026/27 schedule including GST: Kindergarten-Grade 5 USD 28,000, Grades 9-12 USD 32,600.Oct 2026DollarSends
Annual capital / development leviesSGD 4,500-9,500 (USD 3,400-7,100)/yrOn top of tuition at many schools: around USD 6,700 at Singapore American School, USD 3,700-7,100 at UWCSEA.Oct 2026Singapore Employment Agency

Healthcare

ItemCostDetailsReviewedSource
Private expat health insuranceSGD 150-650 (USD 110-480)/moEP holders are not eligible for MediShield Life and get no employer insurance mandate, so private cover is doing the work the national scheme does for citizens and PRs.Oct 2026National Insurance Guide
GP visitSGD 36-200 (USD 27-150)/visitUSD 27-63 at public clinics, USD 37-150 at private clinics.Oct 2026uhomes
Private hospital day rateSGD 2,500 (USD 1,900)/dayIndicative private hospital inpatient rate; an appendectomy runs USD 11,200-63,300 depending on hospital.Oct 2026National Insurance Guide

Build your budget

Plan your monthly budget

Tap a city and a lifestyle. The bars move with you, so you can see exactly where lean ends and premium begins.

City
Household
Lifestyle

1 person · Comfortable · Lisbon

EUR 2,200/mo

EUR 2,200/mo per person

Where it goes

  • Housing50%· rent in expat-favored neighborhoods
  • Food20%· groceries plus a few restaurant meals a week
  • Transport & utilities15%· transit passes, phone, power, water
  • Buffer15%· visa fees, deposits, first-month setup

A typical split for a comfortable budget. Shares shift by city and neighborhood; housing is the biggest piece everywhere.

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