Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,560 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Brisbane

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

A single person spends $3,454 per month in Singapore vs $2,560 in Brisbane, rent included.

Singapore $3,454
Brisbane $2,560

A couple spends around $5,224 per month in Singapore vs $3,774 in Brisbane, rent included.

Singapore $5,224
Brisbane $3,774

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in Singapore vs $4,987 in Brisbane, rent included.

Singapore $6,994
Brisbane $4,987

Singapore costs about 35% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Singapore and Brisbane sit above the global median – Singapore by 158%, Brisbane by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$17.72 A$25.46

-34.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$74.5 A$107

-4.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$10.94 A$15.72

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$4.24 A$6.10

23.82%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$2.84 A$4.08

-35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$2.48 A$3.56

-49.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

$8.59 A$12.33

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$8.25 A$11.85

21.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.63 A$2.35

80.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$2.62 A$3.76

-5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$2.25 A$3.24

20.44%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$4.91 A$7.05

-24.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.58

$9.46 A$13.59

127.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.20

$9.00 A$12.93

5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.27

$13.94 A$20.02

86.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$4.18 A$6.00

7.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$3.02 A$4.34

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$2.96 A$4.25

56.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$4.78 A$6.87

-53.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$2.75 A$3.95

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.37 A$3.41

0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.36 A$3.39

-24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$1.25 A$1.80

20.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.16

$38.83 A$55.8

-63.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$12.35 A$17.74

92.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$5.23 A$7.51

-13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$4.96 A$7.12

-7.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$0.34 A$0.49

364.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$21.27 A$30.56

352.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$2.94 A$4.22

23.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$1.79 A$2.57

-55.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.72

$41.65 A$59.8

-61.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.45 A$2.08

73.10%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$26.9K A$38.7K

478.35%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

$28.0K A$40.3K

419.77%

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

$175 SGD 224

$156 A$224

12.11%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$25.94 A$37.26

-52.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.11

$59.7 A$85.7

-55.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$60.8 A$87.3

83.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.46

$23.05 A$33.12

-47.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$17.49 A$25.12

-33.68%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$1,943 A$2,791

-24.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$12.8K A$18.4K

121.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$81.9 A$118

-0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$44.63 A$64.1

13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$111 A$159

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$112 A$161

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$1,974 A$2,835

47.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,725

$1,359 A$1,952

56.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,241

$3,333 A$4,788

69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,081

$2,293 A$3,293

73.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$8,100 A$11.6K

191.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$6,066 A$8,714

177.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$4,133 A$5,937

5.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.81

-58.00%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Brisbane

$1.4K 53.2% 36.1% $769

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Brisbane

$359 14.1% 21.4% $98

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Brisbane

$306 12% 19.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Brisbane

$242 9.5% 12.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 6.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Brisbane

$96 3.8% 28.9% $39

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.4% 68.7% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Singapore versus $1,974 in Brisbane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Singapore, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore versus $74.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $457 in Singapore vs $359 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

2,287,896

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Brisbane 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 35% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,180 per month in Singapore and $3,841 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 27% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $74.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,454 in Singapore and $2,560 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – 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 Brisbane. 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.