Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Port Douglas

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Douglas: $2,559 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Port Douglas
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Port Douglas Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Port Douglas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $2,559 in Port Douglas.

Singapore $3,500
Port Douglas $2,559

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $3,834 in Port Douglas.

Singapore $5,265
Port Douglas $3,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $5,110 in Port Douglas.

Singapore $7,030
Port Douglas $5,110

Living in Singapore is roughly 37% more expensive than in Port Douglas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Port Douglas 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$17.13 A$24.54

-31.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$99.0 A$142

-28.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$12.57 A$18.01

-31.98%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$4.47 A$6.40

16.33%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$3.12 A$4.46

-43.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$2.64 A$3.79

-53.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$7.00 A$10.03

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$8.12 A$11.63

25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.90

$1.86 A$2.66

63.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$2.65 A$3.80

-3.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$2.52 A$3.61

13.49%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.52

$5.34 A$7.66

-33.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.03

$9.19 A$13.17

129.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$13.57 A$19.44

-27.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$14.86 A$21.29

71.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$4.13 A$5.92

10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.84 A$4.08

10.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$3.67 A$5.26

28.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$5.64 A$8.07

-60.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.47 A$3.54

4.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.53 A$3.63

-9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.76 A$3.95

-32.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$2.59 A$3.72

-44.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$44.97 A$64.4

-68.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$13.83 A$19.81

69.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$3.65 A$5.23

24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$5.36 A$7.68

-17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$2.67 A$3.83

-41.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$80.1 A$115

17.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.54 A$3.64

43.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.00 A$2.86

-62.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$42.60 A$61.0

-62.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.24 A$1.78

97.58%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.6K

$30.4K A$43.6K

409.96%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$40.3K A$57.8K

268.09%

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

$172 SGD 220

$162 A$232

5.92%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$35.15 A$50.4

-64.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$66.4 A$95.1

-60.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$58.3 A$83.5

85.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$17.90 A$25.64

-31.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$13.65 A$19.56

-14.73%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$2,041 A$2,923

-27.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$13.9K A$19.9K

104.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$89.1 A$128

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$70.5 A$101

-28.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$125 A$179

-10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$132 A$189

-2.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,463 A$2,096

106.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,208 A$1,730

79.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,476

$2,047 A$2,932

185.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,175

$1,965 A$2,815

105.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$6,639 A$9,510

258.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,060 A$7,249

231.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.32

-61.39%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Port Douglas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Port Douglas

$1.2K 47.2% 44.4% $963

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Port Douglas

$409 16% 10.8% $49

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Port Douglas

$303 11.8% 18.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Port Douglas

$263 10.3% 25.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Port Douglas

$187 7.3% 12.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Port Douglas

$86 3.4% 34.8% $46

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Port Douglas

$103 4% 3.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $1,463 in Port Douglas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $99.0 in Port Douglas. Groceries flip the comparison at $458 vs $409, with Port Douglas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Port Douglas

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

3,500

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.698 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.698 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Between locations

Singapore Port Douglas 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Port Douglas

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 Port Douglas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Port Douglas differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $2,559 including rent). Port Douglas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $3,838 in Port Douglas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,463 in Port Douglas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Douglas – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Port Douglas 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 Port Douglas 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 Port Douglas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.