Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Amherst, MA: $2,759 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amherst, MA and in Singapore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amherst, MA and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Amherst, MA versus $3,500 in Singapore.

Amherst, MA $2,759
Singapore $3,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,250 in Amherst, MA versus $5,265 in Singapore.

Amherst, MA $4,250
Singapore $5,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Amherst, MA versus $7,030 in Singapore.

Amherst, MA $5,742
Singapore $7,030

Living in Amherst, MA costs roughly 21% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 104% above, Singapore 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$11.76 SGD 15.05

73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$70.6 SGD 90.4

-1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$8.55 SGD 10.94

7.37%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$5.20 SGD 6.66

-6.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.77 SGD 2.27

48.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.23 SGD 1.58

58.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$8.26 SGD 10.58

-28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.63 $10.63

$10.17 SGD 13.01

4.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$3.04 SGD 3.89

-65.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.55 SGD 3.26

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.86 SGD 3.66

148.95%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.53 SGD 4.51

32.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$21.12 SGD 27.02

-22.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$9.90 SGD 12.67

58.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$25.42 SGD 32.53

-28.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.57 SGD 5.85

5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$3.13 SGD 4.00

-56.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.72 SGD 6.04

-31.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.23 SGD 2.85

116.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.57 SGD 3.29

26.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.29 SGD 2.93

55.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.87 SGD 2.39

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.44 SGD 1.84

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$13.97 SGD 17.88

-25.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 $12.16

$23.48 SGD 30.05

-48.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.54 SGD 5.80

-54.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.44 SGD 5.68

-11.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.57 SGD 2.01

-17.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 $27.49

$93.8 SGD 120

-70.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.64 SGD 4.66

-4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.76 SGD 0.97

80.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$16.14 SGD 20.66

85.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.45 SGD 3.14

-62.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.5K $36.5K

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

-76.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.2K $25.2K

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

-83.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 $207

$172 SGD 220

20.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.8 $56.8

$12.39 SGD 15.86

358.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$26.21 SGD 33.54

245.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$108 SGD 138

10.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 $7.15

$12.31 SGD 15.75

-41.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 $10.64

$11.64 SGD 14.90

-8.59%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,513 $1,513

$1,481 SGD 1,895

2.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

-40.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.36 $44.36

$80.6 SGD 103

-44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 $40.35

$50.1 SGD 64.1

-19.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$112 SGD 143

-19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$129 SGD 165

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$3,015 SGD 3,858

-39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$2,171 SGD 2,778

-38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 $3,963

$5,842 SGD 7,475

-32.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$4,044 SGD 5,174

-33.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 $4,010

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

-83.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,000 $4,000

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

-76.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,769 $4,769

$4,385 SGD 5,611

8.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

2.44

150.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Singapore

$2.2K 62% 61.7% $829

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7%

Singapore

$458 13.1% 5.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9%

Singapore

$210 6% 40.8% $145

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5%

Singapore

$256 7.3% 19.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1%

Singapore

$131 3.8% 6.9% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6%

Singapore

$167 4.8% 32.1% $41

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6%

Singapore

$107 3.1% 150% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,826 in Amherst, MA and $3,015 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Amherst, MA vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $458 per month, with Amherst, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

12 h ahead of Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

SGD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Amherst, MA Singapore 15,150 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
Singapore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amherst, MA vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, MA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Amherst, MA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,826 in Amherst, MA versus $3,015 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,513 in Amherst, MA versus $1,481 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Amherst, MA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Amherst, MA and Singapore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Amherst, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.