Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Madison, WI: $2,972 a month against $3,544 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,544

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Madison, WI

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

A single person spends $3,544 per month in Singapore vs $2,972 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Singapore $3,544
Madison, WI $2,972

A couple spends around $5,318 per month in Singapore vs $4,286 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Singapore $5,318
Madison, WI $4,286

A family of three spends $7,093 per month in Singapore vs $5,600 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Singapore $7,093
Madison, WI $5,600

Singapore costs about 19% more than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Singapore and Madison, WI sit above the global median – Singapore by 160%, Madison, WI by 118%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 SGD 14.85

$19.66 $19.66

-40.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 SGD 95.1

$68.0 $68.0

9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 SGD 10.67

$12.89 $12.89

-35.22%

Cappuccino

$5.24 SGD 6.69

$5.77 $5.77

-9.19%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$3.10 $3.10

-40.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 SGD 1.64

$2.52 $2.52

-49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 SGD 10.65

$7.14 $7.14

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 SGD 12.76

$7.85 $7.85

27.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 SGD 3.82

$0.98 $0.98

205.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 SGD 3.30

$3.52 $3.52

-26.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 SGD 3.54

$4.27 $4.27

-35.13%

Eggs

$3.76 SGD 4.80

$3.71 $3.71

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.85 SGD 26.64

$15.06 $15.06

38.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 SGD 12.79

$13.03 $13.03

-23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.28 SGD 32.31

$20.45 $20.45

23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 SGD 5.77

$4.77 $4.77

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 SGD 4.08

$1.59 $1.59

100.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.84

$5.14 $5.14

-11.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 SGD 2.77

$4.96 $4.96

-56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 SGD 3.17

$2.89 $2.89

-14.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 SGD 2.98

$3.12 $3.12

-25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 SGD 2.44

$2.07 $2.07

-7.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SGD 1.85

$2.46 $2.46

-41.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 SGD 17.70

$10.96 $10.96

26.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 SGD 29.88

$15.40 $15.40

51.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 SGD 6.00

$2.77 $2.77

69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 SGD 6.14

$4.43 $4.43

8.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 SGD 1.94

$1.94 $1.94

-21.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 SGD 124

$66.2 $66.2

46.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 SGD 4.75

$4.10 $4.10

-9.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 SGD 1.03

$1.97 $1.97

-58.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.41 SGD 20.98

$43.65 $43.65

-62.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 SGD 3.24

$1.05 $1.05

140.95%

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

$156.9K SGD 200.5K

$30.1K $30.1K

420.84%

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

$154.6K SGD 197.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

511.31%

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

$170 SGD 217

$269 $269

-36.92%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.84

$52.8 $52.8

-76.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.02 SGD 35.81

$81.5 $81.5

-65.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 SGD 142

$54.2 $54.2

105.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 SGD 15.45

$10.52 $10.52

14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 SGD 15.61

$14.80 $14.80

-17.50%

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

$1,878 SGD 2,400

$1,621 $1,621

15.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K SGD 37.2K

$23.5K $23.5K

23.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 SGD 98.1

$65.0 $65.0

18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 SGD 65.9

$50.5 $50.5

1.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SGD 137

$106 $106

1.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SGD 157

$123 $123

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 SGD 3,959

$1,807 $1,807

71.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 SGD 2,828

$1,469 $1,469

50.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,983 SGD 7,647

$3,184 $3,184

87.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,088 SGD 5,224

$2,432 $2,432

68.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K SGD 29.5K

$4,596 $4,596

402.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.7K SGD 21.3K

$2,418 $2,418

590.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,464 SGD 5,706

$4,521 $4,521

-1.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.69

-63.53%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62.5%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4% 33.6% $744

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 12.9%

Madison, WI

$433 14.6% 5.3% $25

Eating Out

Singapore

$255 7.2%

Madison, WI

$339 11.4% 33% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 5.9%

Madison, WI

$404 13.6% 92% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$161 4.6%

Madison, WI

$155 5.2% 3.9% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$136 3.8%

Madison, WI

$84 2.8% 38.3% $52

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

Madison, WI

$88 3% 20.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,098 in Singapore versus $1,807 in Madison, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Singapore versus $68 in Madison, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $433 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

18:14 6:14 PM

14 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

248,951

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.782 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Madison, WI 14,910 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,544 in Singapore, $2,972 in Madison, WI – Madison, WI comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,316 per month in Singapore and $4,457 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madison, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,807 there versus $3,098 in Singapore.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,878 per month in Singapore and $1,621 in Madison, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Madison, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Madison, WI is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 16% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.