Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Carlton

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlton: $2,287 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Carlton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $2,287 in Carlton.

Singapore $3,500
Carlton $2,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $3,321 in Carlton.

Singapore $5,265
Carlton $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $4,355 in Carlton.

Singapore $7,030
Carlton $4,355

Living in Singapore is roughly 53% more expensive than in Carlton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Carlton 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$17.71 A$25.48

-33.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$68.7 A$98.9

2.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$9.96 A$14.34

-14.16%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.92 A$4.21

78.08%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$2.63 A$3.78

-32.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$2.13 A$3.06

-42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$6.76 A$9.73

22.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$6.54 A$9.41

55.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.32 A$1.90

130.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$2.05 A$2.95

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$1.32 A$1.90

116.67%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$3.20 A$4.60

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.28 A$14.79

105.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$9.99 A$14.38

-0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$15.28 A$21.98

66.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.32 A$4.78

37.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.81 A$4.05

11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$3.20 A$4.60

47.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.48 A$6.44

-50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.46 A$3.54

4.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.22 A$3.19

3.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.13 A$3.07

-12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.90 A$1.29

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$25.25 A$36.33

-44.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$10.62 A$15.28

121.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$5.74 A$8.26

-20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$5.12 A$7.37

-13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$3.05 A$4.38

-48.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$80.9 A$116

15.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.72 A$5.36

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.26 A$1.82

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$26.18 A$37.68

-38.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.36 A$1.95

80.15%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$18.4K A$26.5K

742.69%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$13.8K A$19.9K

973.91%

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

$172 SGD 220

$89.5 A$129

91.61%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$27.31 A$39.31

-54.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$45.80 A$65.9

-42.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$31.60 A$45.47

241.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$17.32 A$24.92

-28.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$12.96 A$18.64

-10.19%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$2,061 A$2,965

-28.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$12.6K A$18.1K

125.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$79.1 A$114

1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$49.37 A$71.1

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$70.0 A$101

59.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$134 A$193

-3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,391 A$2,001

116.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,204 A$1,732

80.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$2,150 A$3,093

171.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$1,829 A$2,631

121.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$5,647 A$8,126

321.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,209 A$7,496

221.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$5,717 A$8,227

-23.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.9

-58.64%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Carlton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Carlton

$1.2K 52.6% 44.6% $967

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Carlton

$338 14.8% 26.1% $119

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Carlton

$273 11.9% 6.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Carlton

$163 7.1% 22.6% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Carlton

$150 6.5% 10.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Carlton

$58 2.5% 56.2% $74

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Carlton

$103 4.5% 4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $1,391 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $69.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $338 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Carlton

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

3 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

19,001

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

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Between locations

Singapore Carlton 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Carlton

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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Carlton differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $2,287 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Carlton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,391 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $2,061 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,287 in Carlton versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.