Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Gold Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Gold Coast: $2,805 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Gold Coast
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Gold Coast Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Gold Coast

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $2,805 in Gold Coast.

Singapore $3,454
Gold Coast $2,805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $4,207 in Gold Coast.

Singapore $5,224
Gold Coast $4,207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $5,609 in Gold Coast.

Singapore $6,994
Gold Coast $5,609

Living in Singapore is roughly 23% more expensive than in Gold Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 158% above, Gold Coast 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$20.65 A$29.66

-44.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$104 A$149

-31.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$10.51 A$15.10

-16.65%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$3.74 A$5.37

40.37%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$2.75 A$3.95

-33.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$2.37 A$3.41

-47.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

$7.48 A$10.75

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$7.68 A$11.04

30.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.49 A$2.13

97.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$2.72 A$3.91

-9.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$2.31 A$3.31

17.32%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$4.77 A$6.85

-21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.58

$8.74 A$12.56

146.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.20

$9.60 A$13.79

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.27

$14.47 A$20.78

79.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$3.81 A$5.47

17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$3.14 A$4.52

-0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$3.44 A$4.95

34.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$4.29 A$6.17

-48.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$2.52 A$3.61

-0.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.50 A$3.59

-4.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.54 A$3.65

-29.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$2.37 A$3.41

-36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.16

$45.49 A$65.4

-68.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$14.36 A$20.62

65.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$5.78 A$8.30

-21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$6.85 A$9.84

-33.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$2.76 A$3.97

-42.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$55.9 A$80.4

72.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$2.18 A$3.14

66.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$1.62 A$2.33

-50.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.72

$35.72 A$51.3

-54.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.30 A$1.86

93.08%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$27.5K A$39.5K

467.46%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

$32.3K A$46.3K

351.81%

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

$175 SGD 224

$222 A$318

-21.05%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$30.65 A$44.03

-59.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.11

$52.8 A$75.9

-49.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$46.94 A$67.4

137.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.46

$17.19 A$24.69

-29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$14.14 A$20.31

-17.96%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$2,181 A$3,133

-32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$12.0K A$17.2K

136.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$76.9 A$110

5.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$53.7 A$77.1

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$104 A$149

7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$123 A$176

5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$2,351 A$3,377

24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,725

$1,461 A$2,099

45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,241

$2,869 A$4,121

97.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,081

$2,538 A$3,645

56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$9,379 A$13.5K

151.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$6,198 A$8,902

171.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$4,100 A$5,890

6.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.69

-57.12%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gold Coast: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Gold Coast

$1.5K 52.6% 31.3% $667

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Gold Coast

$384 13.8% 16.1% $74

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Gold Coast

$315 11.3% 23% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Gold Coast

$305 11% 42.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Gold Coast

$161 5.8% 4.4% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Gold Coast

$75 2.7% 44.2% $60

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Gold Coast

$77 2.8% 29.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Singapore and $2,351 in Gold Coast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 7% 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 $104 in Gold Coast. Groceries flip the comparison at $457 vs $384, with Gold Coast cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

18:57 6:57 PM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

607,665

💱 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 →

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Singapore Gold Coast 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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Gold Coast

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Singapore vs Gold Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Gold Coast differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($3,454 vs $2,805 including rent). Gold Coast is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $2,916 in Singapore versus $2,351 in Gold Coast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gold Coast runs roughly 72% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,463 in Singapore versus $2,181 in Gold Coast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.