Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Madison, WI: $2,972 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,972 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,544 in Singapore, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,972
Singapore $3,544

A couple spends around $4,286 per month in Madison, WI vs $5,318 in Singapore, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,286
Singapore $5,318

A family of three spends $5,600 per month in Madison, WI vs $7,093 in Singapore, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,600
Singapore $7,093

Madison, WI is about 16% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Madison, WI and Singapore sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 118%, Singapore by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$11.62 SGD 14.85

69.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$74.4 SGD 95.1

-8.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$8.35 SGD 10.67

54.37%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.24 SGD 6.69

10.11%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.83 SGD 2.34

69.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.28 SGD 1.64

96.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$8.33 SGD 10.65

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$9.99 SGD 12.76

-21.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.99 SGD 3.82

-67.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.58 SGD 3.30

36.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.77 SGD 3.54

54.15%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.76 SGD 4.80

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 $15.06

$20.85 SGD 26.64

-27.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$10.01 SGD 12.79

30.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 $20.45

$25.28 SGD 32.31

-19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.52 SGD 5.77

5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.19 SGD 4.08

-50.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.57 SGD 5.84

12.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.17 SGD 2.77

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.48 SGD 3.17

16.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.33 SGD 2.98

33.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.91 SGD 2.44

8.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.45 SGD 1.85

69.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$13.85 SGD 17.70

-20.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 $15.40

$23.38 SGD 29.88

-34.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$4.69 SGD 6.00

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.80 SGD 6.14

-7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.52 SGD 1.94

27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 $66.2

$96.6 SGD 124

-31.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.71 SGD 4.75

10.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.81 SGD 1.03

143.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.65 $43.65

$16.41 SGD 20.98

166.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.53 SGD 3.24

-58.50%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$156.9K SGD 200.5K

-80.80%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$154.6K SGD 197.5K

-83.64%

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

$269 $269

$170 SGD 217

58.53%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$12.39 SGD 15.84

326.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$28.02 SGD 35.81

190.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 $54.2

$111 SGD 142

-51.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 $10.52

$12.09 SGD 15.45

-12.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$12.21 SGD 15.61

21.21%

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

$1,621 $1,621

$1,878 SGD 2,400

-13.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$29.1K SGD 37.2K

-19.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$76.8 SGD 98.1

-15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$51.5 SGD 65.9

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$107 SGD 137

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$123 SGD 157

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 $1,807

$3,098 SGD 3,959

-41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 $1,469

$2,213 SGD 2,828

-33.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,184 $3,184

$5,983 SGD 7,647

-46.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$4,088 SGD 5,224

-40.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,596 $4,596

$23.1K SGD 29.5K

-80.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$16.7K SGD 21.3K

-85.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,521 $4,521

$4,464 SGD 5,706

1.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

2.44

174.18%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4%

Singapore

$2.2K 62.5% 50.7% $744

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$433 14.6%

Singapore

$458 12.9% 5.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$404 13.6%

Singapore

$210 5.9% 47.9% $193

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$339 11.4%

Singapore

$255 7.2% 24.8% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$155 5.2%

Singapore

$161 4.6% 4.1% $6.3

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 3%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 25.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$84 2.8%

Singapore

$136 3.8% 62% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,807 in Madison, WI versus $3,098 in Singapore. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Madison, WI versus $74 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $458 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

17:23 5:23 PM

14 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 SGD = 0.782 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

SGD to USD in detail →

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Madison, WI Singapore 14,910 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
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

Madison, WI vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,972 in Madison, WI, $3,544 in Singapore – Madison, WI comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,457 per month in Madison, WI and $5,316 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madison, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,807 there versus $3,098 in Singapore.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,621 per month in Madison, WI and $1,878 in Singapore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Madison, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Madison, WI is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 16% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.