Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,462 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
Learn more

Ballina Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $2,462 in Ballina, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Ballina $2,462

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $3,724 in Ballina, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Ballina $3,724

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $4,986 in Ballina, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Ballina $4,986

Singapore costs about 42% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Singapore and Ballina sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Ballina by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$17.33 A$24.93

-32.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$82.9 A$119

-14.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$9.17 A$13.19

-6.76%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.90 A$5.61

33.33%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$2.84 A$4.08

-37.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$2.27 A$3.27

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$7.59 A$10.93

8.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$7.44 A$10.71

36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.66 A$3.82

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.25 A$4.67

-21.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$2.18 A$3.14

31.19%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$5.69 A$8.18

-37.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$6.36 A$9.15

232.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$9.17 A$13.20

7.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$15.05 A$21.66

68.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.52 A$5.07

29.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$3.11 A$4.47

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$3.19 A$4.59

47.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$3.49 A$5.02

-36.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.69 A$3.87

-4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.33 A$3.35

-1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$3.54 A$5.10

-47.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.53 A$2.20

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$42.38 A$61.0

-67.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$13.97 A$20.10

68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$4.81 A$6.93

-5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$5.15 A$7.41

-13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$3.30 A$4.75

-52.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$92.7 A$133

1.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.54 A$5.09

2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.70 A$2.44

-55.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$39.11 A$56.3

-58.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.25 A$1.80

96.00%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$26.8K A$38.6K

478.72%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$33.0K A$47.4K

350.66%

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

$172 SGD 220

$216 A$311

-20.54%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$31.56 A$45.42

-60.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$49.28 A$70.9

-46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$61.1 A$88.0

76.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$17.31 A$24.91

-28.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$15.89 A$22.86

-26.75%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$1,912 A$2,752

-22.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$22.5K A$32.4K

26.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$80.3 A$116

0.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$55.6 A$79.9

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$102 A$147

9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$136 A$195

-4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,541 A$2,218

95.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,126 A$1,620

92.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$2,038 A$2,933

186.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$2,001 A$2,880

102.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$6,245 A$8,987

280.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$4,569 A$6,575

266.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.84

-58.22%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Ballina

$1.1K 45.7% 48.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Ballina

$375 15.2% 18.2% $83

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Ballina

$286 11.6% 11.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Ballina

$297 12.1% 41.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Ballina

$168 6.8% 0.6% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Ballina

$93 3.8% 29.3% $38

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Ballina

$118 4.8% 9.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,541 in Ballina. 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 $71.0 in Singapore versus $83.0 in Ballina. Groceries tell a different story – $458 in Singapore vs $375 in Ballina – so Ballina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

3 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

8,911

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Ballina 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $3,693 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $1,912 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,500 in Singapore and $2,462 in Ballina. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.