Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Isa and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Isa: $2,466 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Mount Isa
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Mount Isa Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,466

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,493

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Mount Isa versus $3,493 in Singapore.

Mount Isa $2,466
Singapore $3,493

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,582 in Mount Isa versus $5,174 in Singapore.

Mount Isa $3,582
Singapore $5,174

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,699 in Mount Isa versus $6,855 in Singapore.

Mount Isa $4,699
Singapore $6,855

Living in Mount Isa costs roughly 29% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Isa 82% above, Singapore 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 A$25.32

$11.74 SGD 15.02

49.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 A$120

$74.3 SGD 95.1

12.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 A$14.82

$8.76 SGD 11.21

17.58%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.88

$5.32 SGD 6.80

-23.12%

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

$2.83 A$4.08

$1.89 SGD 2.42

49.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.15

$1.21 SGD 1.55

80.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 A$10.90

$8.46 SGD 10.82

-10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 A$11.34

$9.83 SGD 12.57

-19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.28

$2.91 SGD 3.72

-45.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.52 SGD 3.22

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.27

$2.86 SGD 3.66

-20.63%

Eggs

$4.88 A$7.03

$3.64 SGD 4.66

34.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.12

$20.88 SGD 26.71

-56.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.62

$9.92 SGD 12.69

-4.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 A$20.79

$25.77 SGD 32.98

-43.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.65

$4.70 SGD 6.02

-16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$3.08 SGD 3.94

0.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.61

$4.74 SGD 6.06

-32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 A$6.72

$2.19 SGD 2.80

113.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.85

$2.57 SGD 3.29

4.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.48

$2.32 SGD 2.97

4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 A$3.51

$1.86 SGD 2.39

31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.16

$1.39 SGD 1.78

7.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.02 A$59.0

$13.80 SGD 17.66

197.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$20.00

$23.29 SGD 29.81

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.60

$4.77 SGD 6.10

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.64

$4.69 SGD 6.00

13.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.01

$1.60 SGD 2.04

74.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.0 A$117

$96.0 SGD 123

-15.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 A$5.04

$3.61 SGD 4.61

-2.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 A$2.22

$0.79 SGD 1.02

94.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.28 A$56.5

$16.63 SGD 21.28

136.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.97

$2.56 SGD 3.28

-46.48%

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

$26.4K A$38.0K

$157.0K SGD 200.8K

-83.18%

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

$29.9K A$43.0K

$149.8K SGD 191.7K

-80.03%

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

$202 A$291

$172 SGD 220

17.66%

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

$27.99 A$40.27

$12.13 SGD 15.53

130.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$82.4

$28.02 SGD 35.86

104.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$108 SGD 138

-48.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.57 A$25.29

$12.24 SGD 15.67

43.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 A$21.29

$12.03 SGD 15.39

23.03%

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

$2,134 A$3,071

$1,473 SGD 1,885

44.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.5K

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

-28.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 A$112

$78.0 SGD 99.9

-0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 A$79.3

$50.9 SGD 65.1

8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$154

$109 SGD 139

-1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$176

$123 SGD 158

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 A$2,007

$2,917 SGD 3,733

-52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 A$1,680

$2,161 SGD 2,765

-45.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 A$3,025

$5,769 SGD 7,383

-63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 A$2,568

$3,849 SGD 4,925

-53.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,804 A$8,352

$23.2K SGD 29.7K

-74.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,848 A$6,976

$16.9K SGD 21.7K

-71.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,368 A$6,286

$4,547 SGD 5,818

-3.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

2.44

139.34%

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

Last update for Mount Isa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mount Isa

$1.2K 47.4%

Singapore

$2.2K 61.8% 85.1% $993

Groceries & Markets

Mount Isa

$365 14.8%

Singapore

$458 13.1% 25.3% $93

Eating Out

Mount Isa

$294 11.9%

Singapore

$258 7.4% 12.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Isa

$287 11.7%

Singapore

$212 6.1% 26.2% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Isa

$163 6.6%

Singapore

$162 4.7% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Mount Isa

$103 4.2%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 6.3% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Isa

$85 3.4%

Singapore

$132 3.8% 55.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,395 in Mount Isa and $2,917 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Mount Isa vs $74.0 in Singapore. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $458, with Mount Isa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mount Isa

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

2 h behind Mount Isa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,936

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 20, 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 20, 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 →

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Between locations

Mount Isa Singapore 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Isa
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

Mount Isa vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Isa wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mount Isa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Singapore. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,395 in Mount Isa versus $2,917 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,134 in Mount Isa versus $1,473 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,466 in Mount Isa versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mount Isa but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Mount Isa 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, Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.