Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Singapore

Name: Singapore
Address: SG

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $3,523 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $32,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $3,523 in Singapore.

China $791
Singapore $3,523

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $5,260 in Singapore.

China $1,251
Singapore $5,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $6,996 in Singapore.

China $1,711
Singapore $6,996

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $3,544–$3,544 in Singapore. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 78% less than in Singapore on average.

China (42% below) and Singapore (159% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$11.66 SGD 14.96

-74.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$74.3 SGD 95.3

-70.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$8.43 SGD 10.80

-38.32%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$5.08 SGD 6.52

-41.54%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.90 SGD 2.43

-74.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.28 SGD 1.65

-76.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$8.67 SGD 11.12

-87.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$9.94 SGD 12.75

-77.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$3.01 SGD 3.86

-40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$2.54 SGD 3.26

-33.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$2.74 SGD 3.51

-66.42%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$3.74 SGD 4.80

-56.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$21.17 SGD 27.15

-36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$9.64 SGD 12.36

-65.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$25.69 SGD 32.94

-55.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-60.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$3.09 SGD 3.97

-57.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$4.73 SGD 6.07

-68.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$2.27 SGD 2.91

-44.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.59 SGD 3.33

-72.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.40 SGD 3.08

-61.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.95 SGD 2.50

-68.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.42 SGD 1.82

-60.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$14.12 SGD 18.10

-73.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$23.34 SGD 29.92

-48.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$4.59 SGD 5.88

-81.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$4.63 SGD 5.94

-63.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.59 SGD 2.04

-81.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$96.3 SGD 123

-81.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$3.75 SGD 4.81

-60.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.76 SGD 0.98

-51.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$16.66 SGD 21.36

-57.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$2.47 SGD 3.17

-48.99%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$154.9K SGD 198.6K

-87.45%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$153.9K SGD 197.3K

-88.61%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$173 SGD 222

-68.49%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$12.14 SGD 15.56

-28.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$28.72 SGD 36.83

-61.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$112 SGD 144

-63.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$12.08 SGD 15.48

19.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$11.94 SGD 15.31

-43.22%

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

$517 ¥3,438

$1,878 SGD 2,407

-72.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

-31.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$78.5 SGD 101

-40.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$50.2 SGD 64.3

-28.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$110 SGD 142

-30.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$124 SGD 158

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$3,069 SGD 3,935

-87.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$2,185 SGD 2,802

-89.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$5,992 SGD 7,682

-86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$3,981 SGD 5,104

-88.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$22.8K SGD 29.3K

-79.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

-85.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$4,528 SGD 5,805

-75.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

2.44

41.80%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Singapore

$2.2K 62% 832% $2K

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Singapore

$458 13% 118% $248

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Singapore

$163 4.6% 51.4% $55

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Singapore

$256 7.3% 190% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Singapore

$214 6.1% 188% $140

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Singapore

$136 3.9% 151% $82

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 394% $88

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $3,098 in Singapore. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $3,098 in Singapore.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $4,464 in Singapore. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 940% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 236% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 439% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are about 5.1 times higher in Singapore, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Singapore.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

5,866,139

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 SGD = 0.78 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.78 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Singapore 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

China vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $3,523 in Singapore, there’s a 345% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $3,098 in Singapore and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Singapore may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.