Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Douglas and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Douglas: $2,559 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Port Douglas
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,559
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,559 in Port Douglas versus $3,500 in Singapore.

  • Port Douglas $2,559
  • Singapore $3,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,834 in Port Douglas versus $5,265 in Singapore.

  • Port Douglas $3,834
  • Singapore $5,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,110 in Port Douglas versus $7,030 in Singapore.

  • Port Douglas $5,110
  • Singapore $7,030

Living in Port Douglas costs roughly 27% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Douglas 90% above, Singapore 159% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.13 A$24.54
$11.76 SGD 15.05
45.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.0 A$142
$70.6 SGD 90.4
40.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.57 A$18.01
$8.55 SGD 10.94
47.02%
Cappuccino
$4.47 A$6.40
$5.20 SGD 6.66
-14.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 A$4.46
$1.77 SGD 2.27
76.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 A$3.79
$1.23 SGD 1.58
114.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.00 A$10.03
$8.26 SGD 10.58
-15.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.12 A$11.63
$10.17 SGD 13.01
-20.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 A$2.66
$3.04 SGD 3.90
-38.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 A$3.80
$2.55 SGD 3.26
3.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.52 A$3.61
$2.86 SGD 3.66
-11.89%
Eggs
$5.34 A$7.66
$3.53 SGD 4.52
51.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.19 A$13.17
$21.12 SGD 27.03
-56.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.57 A$19.44
$9.90 SGD 12.67
37.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.86 A$21.29
$25.42 SGD 32.53
-41.54%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 A$5.92
$4.57 SGD 5.85
-9.63%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 A$4.08
$3.13 SGD 4.00
-9.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.67 A$5.26
$4.72 SGD 6.04
-22.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.64 A$8.07
$2.23 SGD 2.85
152.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.47 A$3.54
$2.57 SGD 3.29
-3.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.53 A$3.63
$2.29 SGD 2.93
10.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.76 A$3.95
$1.87 SGD 2.39
47.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 A$3.72
$1.44 SGD 1.84
79.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.97 A$64.4
$13.97 SGD 17.88
221.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.83 A$19.81
$23.48 SGD 30.05
-41.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.65 A$5.23
$4.54 SGD 5.80
-19.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 A$7.68
$4.44 SGD 5.68
20.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 A$3.83
$1.57 SGD 2.01
70.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.1 A$115
$93.8 SGD 120
-14.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.54 A$3.64
$3.64 SGD 4.66
-30.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 A$2.86
$0.76 SGD 0.97
163.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.60 A$61.0
$16.14 SGD 20.66
163.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 A$1.78
$2.45 SGD 3.14
-49.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K A$43.6K
$155.2K SGD 198.6K
-80.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K A$57.8K
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
-72.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 A$232
$172 SGD 220
-5.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.15 A$50.4
$12.39 SGD 15.86
183.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.4 A$95.1
$26.21 SGD 33.54
153.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.3 A$83.5
$108 SGD 138
-46.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.90 A$25.64
$12.31 SGD 15.75
45.41%
Cinema Ticket
$13.65 A$19.56
$11.64 SGD 14.90
17.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,041 A$2,923
$1,481 SGD 1,895
37.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.9K A$19.9K
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
-51.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 A$128
$80.6 SGD 103
10.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.5 A$101
$50.1 SGD 64.1
40.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 A$179
$112 SGD 143
11.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$189
$129 SGD 165
2.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,463 A$2,096
$3,015 SGD 3,858
-51.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 A$1,730
$2,171 SGD 2,778
-44.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,047 A$2,932
$5,842 SGD 7,476
-64.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,965 A$2,815
$4,044 SGD 5,175
-51.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,639 A$9,510
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
-72.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,060 A$7,249
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
-69.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Douglas
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
2.44
159.02%

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

Last update for Port Douglas: October 13, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Douglas
$1.2K
Singapore
$2.2K 79.7% $963
Groceries & Markets
Port Douglas
$409
Singapore
$458 12.1% $49
Eating Out
Port Douglas
$303
Singapore
$256 15.5% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Douglas
$263
Singapore
$210 20.2% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Port Douglas
$187
Singapore
$167 10.9% $20
Getting Around
Port Douglas
$103
Singapore
$107 4.1% $4.2
Sport & Entertainment
Port Douglas
$86
Singapore
$131 53.4% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Port Douglas and $3,015 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Port Douglas vs $71.0 in Singapore. Groceries flip the comparison at $409 vs $458, with Port Douglas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Port Douglas
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
08:21 8:21 AM
06:21 6:21 AM
2 h behind Port Douglas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,500
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Douglas Singapore 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Douglas
  • 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
Port Douglas vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Port Douglas and in Singapore?
Port Douglas and Singapore differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,559 vs $3,500 including rent). Port Douglas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Port Douglas compared to Singapore?
You'd need roughly $3,838 in Port Douglas and $5,251 in Singapore to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Port Douglas and in Singapore?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,463 in Port Douglas versus $3,015 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Port Douglas – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Port Douglas is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Port Douglas and Singapore?
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.
Is Port Douglas or Singapore safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Port Douglas 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.
Where should expats move: Port Douglas or Singapore?
Expats usually find Port Douglas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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