How much does it cost to live in Singapore?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$4,621 (SGD 5,882)
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: breakingac.com, nestpick.com
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $1,836 (SGD 2,337)
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $6,987 (SGD 8,894)
- Furnished 1-bed rent
- $3,771 (SGD 4,800)
Tiong Bahru / Tanjong Pagar / Duxton
Good to know
Good to Know
- Furnished, flexible-term rentals in Singapore mostly come through co-living operators or serviced-apartment brands rather than the regular condo market, where most landlords expect standard 12-24 month leases — budget for a co-living room or serviced apartment if you're staying under a year.
- Hawker centres remain the best value for eating out and are genuinely part of daily life, not just a tourist novelty — a filling meal there is far cheaper than a restaurant meal of similar quality.
- Grocery costs swing a lot depending on whether you shop at a budget chain (NTUC FairPrice, Giant) versus an imported/specialty supermarket (Cold Storage, Jasons) — imported goods and alcohol carry a steep premium in Singapore.
- Singapore's coworking market is dense and competitive — day passes commonly run S$25–40 and hot-desk memberships start around S$230–300/month at the budget end, with premium CBD spaces going much higher.
- There are no more single-trip paper MRT tickets — you need an EZ-Link/SimplyGo card or a contactless bank card, and fares are distance-based rather than flat.
- Because there's no digital nomad visa, longer stays generally mean planning a border run (e.g., a short trip to Malaysia or Indonesia) rather than a paid renewal — factor that into any 3+ month budget.
- Private healthcare in Singapore is high-quality but not cheap by regional standards, and public subsidies are mainly for citizens/PRs, so budgeting for private insurance or paying out-of-pocket is standard for nomads.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- SGD 5,882
Includes 5 estimated components
1 component missing
- Lean month
- SGD 2,337
Includes 2 estimated components
1 component missing
- Comfortable month
- SGD 8,894
Includes 6 estimated components
1 component missing
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- Digital nomads and young expat professionals in Singapore cluster most visibly in Tiong Bahru, Tanjong Pagar/Duxton, and Robertson Quay, with Holland Village and River Valley as secondary hubs; all housing figures below are grounded in this Tiong Bahru / Tanjong Pagar corridor, which is repeatedly named in expat housing guides as the area 'for younger professionals who want culture and nightlife close by'.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- SGD 4,800
Estimated
Estimated midpoint for a furnished 1-bedroom condo in a well-located Tiong Bahru/Tanjong Pagar/Duxton building, based on general district rent ranges reported in expat rental guides (central districts commanding 15-25% higher rents than mature outer estates) combined with typical serviced-apartment pricing.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- SGD 3,200
Estimated
Estimated blend of listing-portal starting prices (Nestpick lists furnished rentals 'starting from 437 SGD' for rooms, with small studios/1BR condos in the Tiong Bahru/Tanjong Pagar area running well above that) and general market range cited for central-area apartments; no single live listing pinned this exact figure.
- Premium apartment
- SGD 7,500
Estimated
Estimated for a premium furnished 2-bedroom condo in a newer development near Tanjong Pagar/Duxton (e.g. Pinnacle@Duxton area) or Robertson Quay, based on general knowledge that central-district premium condos command a significant premium over budget/mid tiers; no single live listing pinned this exact figure.
- Private room in a shared home
- SGD 1,800
Survey / cost-of-living site
Expat rental guide states co-living rooms in Singapore average SGD 1,800/month and are particularly popular among digital nomads and young professionals; co-living rooms are described as fully furnished with utilities included.
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- SGD 325
Estimated
Study-abroad cost guide states monthly grocery spending averages SGD 250-400; figure recorded here is the midpoint of that stated range, hence estimated.
Sample prices
1L Whole Milk
- 1L Whole Milk
- SGD 2.46
Survey / cost-of-living site
Aetna International destination guide states one litre of whole milk costs SGD $2.46.
1kg Tomatoes
- 1kg Tomatoes
- SGD 2.89
Survey / cost-of-living site
Aetna International destination guide states one kg of tomatoes costs SGD $2.89.
Loaf of White Bread
- Loaf Of White Bread
- SGD 3.00
Estimated
No specific source retrieved at the time of research; recorded as a rough estimate based on general supermarket pricing knowledge, flagged honestly as unsourced.
1.5L Bottled Water (Supermarket)
- 1.5L Bottled Water (Supermarket)
- SGD 1.00
Estimated
No specific source retrieved at the time of research; recorded as a rough estimate based on general supermarket pricing knowledge, flagged honestly as unsourced.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- SGD 9.00
Estimated
Aetna International destination guide states a basic lunchtime meal including a drink in the business district costs SGD $12 (USD $9). [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 12 SGD reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- SGD 80
Estimated
No single retrieved source stated this figure at the time of research; estimated from general knowledge of upscale dining pricing in Singapore for one diner, excluding wine pairing.
- Mid-range meal
- SGD 23
Estimated
No single retrieved source stated a clean per-person mid-range figure at the time of research; estimated from general knowledge of casual sit-down restaurant pricing in Singapore for one diner. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 30 SGD reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
Transport
- Single ride
- SGD 1.28
Survey / cost-of-living site
Site reports that from 27 December 2025 the card fare for a single MRT trip ranges from S$1.28 (shortest distance) to S$2.57 (longest); figure recorded here is the minimum stated fare.
- Monthly pass
- SGD 128
Survey / cost-of-living site
Guide states the Adult Monthly Travel Pass costs S$128 for unlimited train and basic bus rides for a calendar month.
Mobile & data
- Monthly plan
- SGD 12
Survey / cost-of-living site
Circles Life '4G Lite' SIM-only plan: S$9.90/month for the first 3 months, reverting to S$12/month ongoing, with 200GB of local data (a S$0.30/month platform fee also applies).
Short Stays (per night)
- Seasonal pricing
- No
- Why
- Singapore has tropical climate stability year-round and no sustained multi-month tourism high season; Chinese New Year creates a brief 2-week peak but not a material seasonal swing large enough to make a blended annual rate misleading.
Low season
- Budget
- SGD 78
2-star hotel, average nightly rate across city center and tourist areas
- Luxury
- SGD 473
5-star hotel, representative mid-range luxury property (Mandarin Oriental, Pan Pacific tier)
- Premium
- SGD 186
4-star hotel, average nightly rate including Marina Bay and Orchard Road properties
- Standard
- SGD 113
3-star hotel, average nightly rate city-wide
High season
- Budget
- SGD 78
2-star hotel, average nightly rate across city center and tourist areas
- Luxury
- SGD 473
5-star hotel, representative mid-range luxury property (Mandarin Oriental, Pan Pacific tier)
- Premium
- SGD 186
4-star hotel, average nightly rate including Marina Bay and Orchard Road properties
- Standard
- SGD 113
3-star hotel, average nightly rate city-wide
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Singapore
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.