Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairns: $2,529 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Cairns

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

A single person spends $3,454 per month in Singapore vs $2,529 in Cairns, rent included.

Singapore $3,454
Cairns $2,529

A couple spends around $5,224 per month in Singapore vs $3,731 in Cairns, rent included.

Singapore $5,224
Cairns $3,731

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in Singapore vs $4,933 in Cairns, rent included.

Singapore $6,994
Cairns $4,933

Singapore costs about 37% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Singapore and Cairns sit above the global median – Singapore by 158%, Cairns by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$17.69 A$25.40

-34.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$97.6 A$140

-27.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$12.79 A$18.37

-31.51%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$4.32 A$6.20

21.53%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$3.14 A$4.51

-41.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$2.74 A$3.93

-54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

$6.84 A$9.83

23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$8.34 A$11.98

20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.94 A$2.79

51.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$2.63 A$3.78

-6.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$2.57 A$3.70

5.45%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$5.39 A$7.74

-30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.58

$9.17 A$13.17

134.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.20

$13.48 A$19.36

-29.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.27

$15.26 A$21.91

70.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$4.17 A$6.00

7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$2.75 A$3.95

13.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$3.54 A$5.08

30.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$5.65 A$8.11

-60.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$2.56 A$3.68

-2.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.58 A$3.71

-7.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.71 A$3.89

-34.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$2.59 A$3.72

-41.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.16

$43.78 A$62.9

-67.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$13.96 A$20.05

70.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$3.55 A$5.10

27.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$5.22 A$7.49

-12.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$3.56 A$5.12

-55.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$15.43 A$22.16

524.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$2.65 A$3.81

36.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$1.96 A$2.82

-59.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.72

$42.21 A$60.6

-61.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.28 A$1.84

96.09%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$31.3K A$45.0K

397.49%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

$40.8K A$58.6K

257.05%

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

$175 SGD 224

$164 A$235

6.94%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$34.95 A$50.2

-64.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.11

$65.0 A$93.3

-58.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$44.38 A$63.7

151.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.46

$27.37 A$39.31

-55.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$13.97 A$20.07

-16.96%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$2,069 A$2,972

-29.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$14.2K A$20.3K

100.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$89.1 A$128

-8.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$71.7 A$103

-29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$122 A$175

-8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$129 A$186

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$1,466 A$2,106

98.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,725

$1,223 A$1,757

73.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,241

$2,250 A$3,232

151.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,081

$1,944 A$2,793

104.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$6,629 A$9,523

256.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$5,015 A$7,204

235.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$4,289 A$6,160

1.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.32

-61.39%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 42.5% $904

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Cairns

$409 16.3% 10.6% $49

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Cairns

$306 12.2% 19.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Cairns

$264 10.5% 23.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Cairns

$185 7.4% 10.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Cairns

$72 2.9% 46.3% $62

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 61.8% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Singapore versus $1,466 in Cairns. 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 2% 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 $98.0 in Cairns. Groceries tell a different story – $457 in Singapore vs $409 in Cairns – so Cairns wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

153,181

💱 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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Singapore Cairns 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Cairns

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 Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 37% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,793 in Cairns. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $98.0 in Cairns. 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 $2,529 in Cairns. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cairns – 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 Cairns. 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.