Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Canada: $2,305 a month against $3,480 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇨🇦 Canada
$2,305
/mo nomad
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,480
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada 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 Canada and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,305 per month in Canada vs $3,480 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Canada $2,305
  • Singapore $3,480

A couple spends around $3,339 per month in Canada vs $5,194 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Canada $3,339
  • Singapore $5,194

A family of three spends $4,374 per month in Canada vs $6,908 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Canada $4,374
  • Singapore $6,908

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,671) than in Singapore ($3,453–$3,453), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is roughly 34% lower than in Singapore on average.

Both Canada and Singapore are pricier than the global median – Canada by 72%, Singapore by 160%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.69 CA$25.22
$11.88 SGD 15.21
48.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 CA$101
$69.9 SGD 89.5
0.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 CA$15.27
$8.76 SGD 11.22
22.26%
Cappuccino
$3.72 CA$5.30
$5.09 SGD 6.52
-26.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.95
$1.85 SGD 2.36
11.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.36
$1.18 SGD 1.52
40.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 CA$8.11
$8.33 SGD 10.67
-31.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 CA$8.20
$10.29 SGD 13.17
-44.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 CA$3.04
$2.95 SGD 3.77
-27.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 CA$3.82
$2.48 SGD 3.18
8.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.13
$2.78 SGD 3.56
29.50%
Eggs
$3.51 CA$5.00
$3.60 SGD 4.61
-2.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.72 CA$15.29
$21.49 SGD 27.52
-50.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.91 CA$16.98
$9.65 SGD 12.35
23.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.29 CA$21.80
$25.13 SGD 32.18
-39.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 CA$5.68
$4.57 SGD 5.85
-12.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 CA$1.94
$2.98 SGD 3.82
-54.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.84 CA$5.47
$4.66 SGD 5.97
-17.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.06 CA$5.78
$2.27 SGD 2.90
78.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.56 CA$3.65
$2.58 SGD 3.31
-0.78%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 CA$3.45
$2.31 SGD 2.96
4.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.57 CA$3.66
$1.84 SGD 2.36
39.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 CA$2.41
$1.46 SGD 1.86
15.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.94 CA$19.86
$14.16 SGD 18.12
-1.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.26 CA$18.90
$23.82 SGD 30.49
-44.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 CA$4.07
$4.61 SGD 5.90
-37.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 CA$4.64
$4.60 SGD 5.89
-29.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 CA$3.44
$1.59 SGD 2.03
51.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.8 CA$102
$93.9 SGD 120
-23.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 CA$4.35
$3.58 SGD 4.59
-14.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 CA$2.05
$0.76 SGD 0.97
89.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.68 CA$38.02
$16.21 SGD 20.75
64.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.67
$2.44 SGD 3.12
-52.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K CA$39.5K
$160.5K SGD 205.5K
-82.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K CA$27.7K
$148.0K SGD 189.6K
-86.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$210
$171 SGD 220
-14.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.33 CA$58.9
$12.22 SGD 15.64
238.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.9 CA$82.5
$26.34 SGD 33.73
119.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.41 CA$57.6
$110 SGD 141
-63.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.23 CA$27.40
$12.40 SGD 15.88
55.08%
Cinema Ticket
$11.07 CA$15.78
$11.85 SGD 15.17
-6.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$757 CA$1,079
$1,490 SGD 1,908
-49.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K CA$20.3K
$28.1K SGD 35.9K
-49.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2 CA$77.3
$80.8 SGD 104
-32.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.79 CA$56.7
$51.2 SGD 65.5
-22.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.6 CA$125
$110 SGD 140
-20.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$144
$129 SGD 165
-21.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 CA$1,822
$3,011 SGD 3,855
-57.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,107 CA$1,578
$2,135 SGD 2,734
-48.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,035 CA$2,901
$5,793 SGD 7,417
-64.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,741 CA$2,481
$3,921 SGD 5,020
-55.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,611 CA$6,572
$23.4K SGD 30.0K
-80.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,822 CA$5,448
$16.9K SGD 21.6K
-77.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,975 CA$4,240
$4,341 SGD 5,559
-31.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
2.44
99.59%

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

Last update for Canada: October 5, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Singapore
$2.1K 92.9% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$368
Singapore
$456 23.8% $87
Eating Out
Canada
$273
Singapore
$257 6% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$246
Singapore
$210 14.8% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Singapore
$167 31.1% $40
Getting Around
Canada
$92
Singapore
$108 17.4% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$63
Singapore
$134 114% $71

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,193 in Canada vs $2,916 in Singapore. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,490 in Ottawa and $2,916 in Singapore.

Average salary: $2,896 in Canada vs $4,369 in Singapore. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 144% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 13% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 66% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 51% higher in Singapore.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
09:05 9:05 AM
21:05 9:05 PM
12 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
5,866,139
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.697 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Singapore 14,820 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • 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
Canada vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Singapore?
Canada is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 51% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Singapore: a central one-bedroom averages $2,916 versus $1,193 in Canada.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Canada, adding to the overall 51% price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Canada or in Singapore?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, but in Singapore it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Singapore?
Canada is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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