Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $825 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $31,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Lae

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

A single person spends $3,454 per month in Singapore vs $825 in Lae, rent included.

Singapore $3,454
Lae $825

A couple spends around $5,224 per month in Singapore vs $1,464 in Lae, rent included.

Singapore $5,224
Lae $1,464

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in Singapore vs $2,103 in Lae, rent included.

Singapore $6,994
Lae $2,103

Singapore costs about 318% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Singapore sits 158% above the global median, while Lae is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$24.56 PGK 108

-53.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$50.0 PGK 219

42.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$2.66 PGK 11.67

97.37%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$0.79 PGK 3.47

131.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$0.54 PGK 2.35

131.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$3.27 PGK 14.33

157.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$5.20 PGK 22.78

92.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$2.02 PGK 8.85

45.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$1.47 PGK 6.42

68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$1.28 PGK 5.61

111.72%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$3.95 PGK 17.30

-5.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$9.51 PGK 41.69

126.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$8.83 PGK 38.70

7.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$10.71 PGK 46.93

142.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$4.55 PGK 19.94

-1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$2.78 PGK 12.18

11.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$6.04 PGK 26.46

-23.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$1.51 PGK 6.64

47.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$3.49 PGK 15.31

-28.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.39 PGK 10.46

-0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$0.68 PGK 3.00

161.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$0.91 PGK 4.00

65.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$6.58 PGK 28.83

115.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$12.02 PGK 52.7

97.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$2.47 PGK 10.81

82.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$4.28 PGK 18.76

6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$0.32 PGK 1.39

393.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$0.96 PGK 4.23

161.46%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

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

$175 SGD 224

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$445 PGK 1,951

555.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$260 PGK 1,141

717.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$1,193 PGK 5,228

373.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$611 PGK 2,677

549.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$157 PGK 689

2677.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Singapore versus $445 in Lae. 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 2677% 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 $50.0 in Lae. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $306 – making Lae the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

13:00 1:00 PM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

250,948

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, 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).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Lae 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Lae

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 Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 318% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,238 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,454 in Singapore and $825 in Lae. That's a gap of about 318%.

Groceries cost about 50% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lae, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lae – 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 Lae. 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.