Cost of living in Singapore 2026
Rank 135 of 161 from cheapest to dearest: the cost of living in Singapore stands at 78.3 on an American base of 100 in 2025, 22% below the United States, according to the World Bank. Singapore households spent an average of S$5,931 a month in 2023, up 2.8% a year from S$5,163 in 2017/18. The survey covers resident households, so a newly arrived foreign tenant paying a market rent can land well above it: most residents own their home. One net average salary covers 116% of that household spending, which is why two incomes weigh so much. Official inflation stood at 2.2% over a year (September 2026). The average salary there leaves SGD 6,867 net a month. The simulator starts from what you spend today and returns its local equivalent and the gross to aim for.
The same lifestyle, a month: Singapore
SGD 2,815
| Housing and energy | SGD 965 |
|---|---|
| Food | SGD 708 |
| Transport | SGD 381 |
| Everything else | SGD 761 |
| Annual gross to fund it | SGD 34,094 |
National price levels by category, International Comparison Program 2021, exchange rate of 2 November 2026. A capital city can cost far more.
Price level by category, Singapore and the United States
| Category (world = 100, 2021) | Singapore | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 129.0 | 116.5 |
| Housing and energy | 135.0 | 214.6 |
| Transport | 172.9 | 116.0 |
| Health | 130.0 | 207.9 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 69.7 | 142.0 |
| Communication | 128.2 | 224.0 |
| Education | 129.0 | 254.7 |
World Bank, International Comparison Program 2021, CC BY 4.0 licence. Recent overall level: 78.3 against 100 in the United States in 2025.
What prices hide in Singapore
Singapore has two faces. Restaurants are cheap for a rich country, at 69.7 on a world base of 100 in 2021, while transport, car included, climbs to 172.9. The overall level, 78.3, stays below Hong Kong's (74.0). Most residents own their public housing, so their budget looks nothing like that of a newcomer renting at market price.
The lines that stand out in Singapore
By category, the 2021 world survey shows a gap: transport at 149% of the American level, restaurants and hotels at 49%.
Going further
Questions
What is the cost of living in Singapore?
Rank 135 of 161: 78.3 on an American base of 100, for 2025. A real budget depends first on the city, then on the household. Rent is often the heaviest line in a budget: check listings in the city you have in mind before deciding.
Is Singapore more expensive than Hong Kong?
On the World Bank's overall level, Singapore stands at 78.3 and Hong Kong at 74.0. The 2021 survey puts housing at 135.0 in Singapore and 135.8 in Hong Kong, with the world at 100. The two city states compare better than most countries, since the average does not blend town and country.
How much does a household spend in Singapore?
The Department of Statistics gives an average of 5,931 Singapore dollars a month in 2023, up 2.8% a year since 2017/18. Another, higher amount appears elsewhere on the office website, and we did not verify its definition: before comparing, check what the spending covers.
Sources
- Department of Statistics Singapore, Household Expenditure Survey 2023
- SingStat, Consumer Price Index, September 2026, 23 October 2026
- World Bank, price level: consumption PPP factor (PA.NUS.PRVT.PP) over the official exchange rate (PA.NUS.FCRF), API read 3 November 2026
- World Bank, International Comparison Program 2021: price level index by category, API read 3 November 2026
Figures 2026, checked on