Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Albany, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany, NY: $2,776 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Albany, NY

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 Albany, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $2,776 in Albany, NY.

Singapore $3,500
Albany, NY $2,776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $4,419 in Albany, NY.

Singapore $5,265
Albany, NY $4,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $6,061 in Albany, NY.

Singapore $7,030
Albany, NY $6,061

Living in Singapore is roughly 26% more expensive than in Albany, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Albany, NY 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$27.00 $27.00

-56.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$100 $100

-29.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$14.87 $14.87

-42.50%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$6.30 $6.30

-17.46%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$2.71 $2.71

-34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$2.04 $2.04

-39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$5.98 $5.98

38.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$10.40 $10.40

-2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.05 $1.05

189.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.21 $3.21

-20.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$7.07 $7.07

-59.55%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$5.10 $5.10

-30.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$16.37 $16.37

29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$16.25 $16.25

-39.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$18.60 $18.60

36.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$4.72 $4.72

-3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.40 $1.40

123.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$5.45 $5.45

-13.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.77 $4.77

-53.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.17 $3.17

-18.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.54 $3.54

-35.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.34 $2.34

-20.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.95 $1.95

-26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$15.11 $15.11

-7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$14.25 $14.25

64.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.07 $2.07

119.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.99 $3.99

11.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.51 $1.51

3.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$63.9 $63.9

46.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$5.13 $5.13

-29.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.36 $1.36

-44.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$29.58 $29.58

-45.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.07 $1.07

128.97%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$36.1K $36.1K

329.92%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$25.2K $25.2K

488.17%

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

$172 SGD 220

$215 $215

-20.09%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$69.7 $69.7

-82.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$87.9 $87.9

-70.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$38.64 $38.64

179.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$38.03 $38.03

-67.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$14.98 $14.98

-22.30%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$1,475 $1,475

0.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$16.9K $16.9K

68.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$54.2 $54.2

48.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$40.55 $40.55

23.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$111 $111

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$106 $106

21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,440 $1,440

109.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,256 $1,256

72.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$2,882 $2,882

102.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$2,595 $2,595

55.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$2,454 $2,454

869.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$2,478 $2,478

575.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$4,245 $4,245

3.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.66

-63.36%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Albany, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2% 42.1% $915

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Albany, NY

$451 16.3% 1.4% $6.5

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Albany, NY

$406 14.6% 58.7% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Albany, NY

$372 13.4% 77.2% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Albany, NY

$140 5.1% 15.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Albany, NY

$69 2.5% 47.8% $63

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Albany, NY

$82 3% 23.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $1,440 in Albany, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 3% 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 $100 in Albany, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $458 vs $451, with Albany, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

17:10 5:10 PM

12 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

101,228

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Albany, NY 15,120 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Albany, NY

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 Albany, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany, NY wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany, NY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,440 in Albany, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Albany, NY – a meal for two runs $100 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $2,776 in Albany, NY – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany, NY 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 Albany, NY 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 Albany, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.