Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Adelaide

For one person, living is cheaper in Adelaide: $2,622 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Adelaide
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Adelaide Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Adelaide

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Adelaide

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Singapore and in Adelaide actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $2,622 in Adelaide.

Singapore $3,454
Adelaide $2,622

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $3,683 in Adelaide.

Singapore $5,224
Adelaide $3,683

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $4,744 in Adelaide.

Singapore $6,994
Adelaide $4,744

Living in Singapore is roughly 32% more expensive than in Adelaide, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 158% above, Adelaide 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$17.71 A$25.44

-34.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$73.5 A$106

-3.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$11.46 A$16.46

-23.56%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$4.03 A$5.79

30.27%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$2.66 A$3.82

-31.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$2.42 A$3.48

-48.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

$7.75 A$11.13

8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$8.45 A$12.14

18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.95 A$2.79

50.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$2.87 A$4.12

-13.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$2.22 A$3.20

22.07%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$5.96 A$8.55

-37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.58

$10.94 A$15.72

96.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.20

$8.60 A$12.35

10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.27

$18.38 A$26.41

41.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$3.92 A$5.63

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$2.99 A$4.29

4.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$3.35 A$4.81

37.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$5.01 A$7.20

-55.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$3.35 A$4.81

-25.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.45 A$3.52

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.47 A$3.55

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$2.14 A$3.07

-29.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.16

$43.98 A$63.2

-67.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$13.89 A$19.95

71.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$5.33 A$7.65

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$6.27 A$9.01

-27.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$3.09 A$4.44

-48.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$84.3 A$121

14.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$3.40 A$4.88

6.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$1.69 A$2.43

-52.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.72

$30.64 A$44.01

-47.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.37 A$1.96

83.21%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$27.0K A$38.8K

476.78%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

$27.5K A$39.5K

429.93%

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

$175 SGD 224

$177 A$255

-1.27%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$22.90 A$32.90

-45.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.11

$55.5 A$79.7

-51.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$59.6 A$85.6

87.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.46

$13.95 A$20.03

-13.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$16.75 A$24.07

-30.75%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$2,079 A$2,986

-29.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$14.4K A$20.7K

96.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$72.1 A$104

12.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$54.3 A$78.0

-6.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$115 A$165

-2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$141 A$202

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$1,686 A$2,421

72.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,725

$1,274 A$1,829

67.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,241

$2,423 A$3,481

133.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,081

$1,834 A$2,634

116.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$10.2K A$14.6K

132.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$6,932 A$9,957

142.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$3,892 A$5,590

12.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.92

-58.78%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Adelaide

$1.3K 48.8% 40.1% $854

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Adelaide

$405 15.5% 11.4% $52

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Adelaide

$300 11.5% 17.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Adelaide

$256 9.8% 19.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Adelaide

$172 6.6% 2.4% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Adelaide

$93 3.6% 30.9% $42

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Adelaide

$109 4.2% 1.6% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Singapore and $1,686 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 12% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $74.0 in Adelaide. Groceries flip the comparison at $457 vs $405, with Adelaide cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Adelaide

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,245,011

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Adelaide 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Adelaide

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

Singapore vs Adelaide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Adelaide differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($3,454 vs $2,622 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Singapore, 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: $2,916 in Singapore versus $1,686 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,463 in Singapore versus $2,079 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Adelaide is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Singapore and Adelaide 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 Adelaide gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.