Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,475 in Singapore versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Singapore versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,008 in Singapore versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Singapore is roughly 53% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 152% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.82 SGD 14.98

$17.55 €15.12

-32.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 SGD 84.4

$64.5 €55.6

3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.67 SGD 10.99

$11.65 €10.04

-25.58%

Cappuccino

$5.29 SGD 6.70

$3.26 €2.81

62.27%

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

$1.90 SGD 2.40

$2.49 €2.15

-23.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SGD 1.53

$1.67 €1.44

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 SGD 10.54

$3.47 €2.99

139.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 SGD 13.03

$3.58 €3.08

187.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.98 SGD 3.77

$1.18 €1.02

152.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 SGD 3.24

$1.95 €1.68

31.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.43

$1.56 €1.35

73.72%

Eggs

$3.60 SGD 4.56

$4.01 €3.46

-10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.01 SGD 26.62

$13.27 €11.44

58.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.55

$8.42 €7.26

17.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.94 SGD 31.60

$18.23 €15.72

36.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 SGD 5.65

$2.32 €2.00

92.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 SGD 3.87

$1.73 €1.49

76.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 SGD 6.10

$1.93 €1.67

149.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.90

$2.64 €2.27

-13.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 SGD 3.31

$1.90 €1.64

37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 SGD 2.86

$2.11 €1.82

7.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.35

$1.44 €1.24

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SGD 1.80

$0.80 €0.69

77.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 SGD 17.84

$7.01 €6.04

100.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.60 SGD 29.90

$5.92 €5.11

298.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.80 SGD 6.09

$1.36 €1.18

252.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 SGD 5.90

$2.15 €1.85

116.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 SGD 2.05

$2.38 €2.05

-31.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 SGD 127

$46.22 €39.85

116.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 SGD 4.70

$4.19 €3.61

-11.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 SGD 1.02

$1.10 €0.95

-26.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.66 SGD 21.11

$17.26 €14.88

-3.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 SGD 3.09

$2.25 €1.94

8.44%

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

$156.3K SGD 198.1K

$34.5K €29.7K

353.48%

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

$148.4K SGD 188.0K

$41.6K €35.9K

256.53%

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

$163 SGD 206

$171 €147

-4.82%

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

$12.54 SGD 15.89

$19.01 €16.38

-34.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.91 SGD 35.37

$34.28 €29.55

-18.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SGD 138

$49.65 €42.80

119.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 SGD 14.73

$19.51 €16.81

-40.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 SGD 15.00

$10.10 €8.71

17.23%

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

$1,471 SGD 1,864

$699 €603

110.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K SGD 37.6K

$17.8K €15.3K

66.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 SGD 101

$105 €90.2

-24.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 SGD 67.3

$47.97 €41.35

10.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 141

$102 €87.8

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 164

$128 €111

0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,051 SGD 3,866

$1,661 €1,432

83.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 SGD 2,740

$1,228 €1,059

76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,870 SGD 7,438

$2,915 €2,513

101.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,862 SGD 4,893

$2,023 €1,744

90.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.7K SGD 30.1K

$8,129 €7,007

191.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.3K

$4,635 €3,996

262.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,259 SGD 5,397

$1,619 €1,396

163.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

3.78

-35.71%

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

Last update for Singapore: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,051 in Singapore and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 163% 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: $67.0 in Singapore vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $281 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Lisbon differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($3,475 vs $2,268 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 163% 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: $3,051 in Singapore versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,471 in Singapore versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon 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 Lisbon 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 Lisbon 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.