Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlton: $2,287 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,287

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,287 in Carlton versus $3,500 in Singapore.

Carlton $2,287
Singapore $3,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,321 in Carlton versus $5,265 in Singapore.

Carlton $3,321
Singapore $5,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in Carlton versus $7,030 in Singapore.

Carlton $4,355
Singapore $7,030

Living in Carlton costs roughly 35% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 69% above, Singapore 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 A$25.48

$11.76 SGD 15.05

50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 A$98.9

$70.6 SGD 90.4

-2.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 A$14.34

$8.55 SGD 10.94

16.49%

Cappuccino

$2.92 A$4.21

$5.20 SGD 6.66

-43.85%

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

$2.63 A$3.78

$1.77 SGD 2.27

48.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.06

$1.23 SGD 1.58

73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 A$9.73

$8.26 SGD 10.58

-18.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 A$9.41

$10.17 SGD 13.01

-35.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$3.04 SGD 3.89

-56.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 A$2.95

$2.55 SGD 3.26

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.90

$2.86 SGD 3.66

-53.85%

Eggs

$3.20 A$4.60

$3.53 SGD 4.51

-9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 A$14.79

$21.12 SGD 27.02

-51.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 A$14.38

$9.90 SGD 12.67

0.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.98

$25.42 SGD 32.53

-39.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$4.57 SGD 5.85

-27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.05

$3.13 SGD 4.00

-10.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.60

$4.72 SGD 6.04

-32.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 A$6.44

$2.23 SGD 2.85

100.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.57 SGD 3.29

-4.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.19

$2.29 SGD 2.93

-3.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$3.07

$1.87 SGD 2.39

13.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.29

$1.44 SGD 1.84

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.25 A$36.33

$13.97 SGD 17.88

80.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 A$15.28

$23.48 SGD 30.05

-54.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.74 A$8.26

$4.54 SGD 5.80

26.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$4.44 SGD 5.68

15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.38

$1.57 SGD 2.01

94.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 A$116

$93.8 SGD 120

-13.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.36

$3.64 SGD 4.66

2.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 A$1.82

$0.76 SGD 0.97

65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.18 A$37.68

$16.14 SGD 20.66

62.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$2.45 SGD 3.14

-44.49%

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

$18.4K A$26.5K

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

-88.13%

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

$13.8K A$19.9K

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

-90.69%

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

$89.5 A$129

$172 SGD 220

-47.81%

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

$27.31 A$39.31

$12.39 SGD 15.86

120.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.80 A$65.9

$26.21 SGD 33.54

74.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.60 A$45.47

$108 SGD 138

-70.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 A$24.92

$12.31 SGD 15.75

40.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 A$18.64

$11.64 SGD 14.90

11.34%

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

$2,061 A$2,965

$1,481 SGD 1,895

39.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

-55.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 A$114

$80.6 SGD 103

-1.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.37 A$71.1

$50.1 SGD 64.1

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 A$101

$112 SGD 143

-37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$129 SGD 165

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$2,001

$3,015 SGD 3,858

-53.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 A$1,732

$2,171 SGD 2,778

-44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 A$3,093

$5,842 SGD 7,475

-63.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 A$2,631

$4,044 SGD 5,174

-54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,647 A$8,126

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

-76.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 A$7,496

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

-68.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,717 A$8,227

$4,385 SGD 5,611

30.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

2.44

141.80%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 52.6%

Singapore

$2.2K 62% 80.4% $967

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$338 14.8%

Singapore

$458 13.1% 35.3% $119

Eating Out

Carlton

$273 11.9%

Singapore

$256 7.3% 6.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$163 7.1%

Singapore

$210 6% 29.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.5%

Singapore

$167 4.8% 11.7% $17

Getting Around

Carlton

$103 4.5%

Singapore

$107 3.1% 4.2% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$58 2.5%

Singapore

$131 3.8% 128% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Carlton and $3,015 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 30% 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 Carlton vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $458 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

00:49 12:49 AM

3 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlton Singapore 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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

Carlton vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Singapore differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,287 vs $3,500 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Carlton, 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: $1,391 in Carlton versus $3,015 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,061 in Carlton 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 35% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,287 in Carlton versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.