Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Macquarie: $2,450 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Port Macquarie
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,450
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

  • Singapore $3,500
  • Port Macquarie $2,450

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $3,487 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

  • Singapore $5,265
  • Port Macquarie $3,487

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $4,525 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

  • Singapore $7,030
  • Port Macquarie $4,525

Singapore costs about 43% more than Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Singapore and Port Macquarie sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Port Macquarie by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 SGD 15.05
$17.73 A$25.39
-33.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 SGD 90.4
$87.3 A$125
-19.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 SGD 10.94
$10.34 A$14.82
-17.31%
Cappuccino
$5.20 SGD 6.66
$3.90 A$5.59
33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SGD 2.27
$2.49 A$3.57
-28.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$1.67 A$2.39
-26.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.26 SGD 10.58
$6.19 A$8.87
33.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.17 SGD 13.01
$6.38 A$9.13
59.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.04 SGD 3.90
$2.03 A$2.91
49.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 SGD 3.26
$2.93 A$4.20
-12.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$2.74 A$3.93
4.38%
Eggs
$3.53 SGD 4.52
$5.29 A$7.58
-33.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.12 SGD 27.03
$5.12 A$7.34
312.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 SGD 12.67
$10.57 A$15.15
-6.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.42 SGD 32.53
$11.95 A$17.12
112.72%
Apples (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$3.14 A$4.50
45.54%
Banana (1kg)
$3.13 SGD 4.00
$4.31 A$6.17
-27.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 SGD 6.04
$2.40 A$3.43
96.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 SGD 2.85
$4.95 A$7.09
-54.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$2.39 A$3.42
7.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 SGD 2.93
$2.39 A$3.42
-4.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 SGD 2.39
$1.60 A$2.29
16.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SGD 1.84
$1.50 A$2.15
-4.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 SGD 17.88
$42.49 A$60.9
-67.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.48 SGD 30.05
$10.41 A$14.91
125.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 SGD 5.80
$4.13 A$5.92
9.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 SGD 5.68
$5.16 A$7.39
-13.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 SGD 2.01
$2.89 A$4.14
-45.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 SGD 120
$80.7 A$116
16.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$3.66 A$5.24
-0.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$1.59 A$2.28
-52.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.14 SGD 20.66
$42.84 A$61.4
-62.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 SGD 3.14
$1.30 A$1.87
88.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$155.2K SGD 198.6K
$26.2K A$37.5K
493.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
$22.0K A$31.5K
575.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$198 A$284
-13.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.86
$30.80 A$44.13
-59.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.21 SGD 33.54
$61.3 A$87.9
-57.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$51.5 A$73.7
109.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.31 SGD 15.75
$9.54 A$13.67
29.04%
Cinema Ticket
$11.64 SGD 14.90
$10.92 A$15.64
6.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,481 SGD 1,895
$1,823 A$2,612
-18.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
$18.6K A$26.6K
52.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 SGD 103
$70.6 A$101
14.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 SGD 64.1
$54.9 A$78.6
-8.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$104 A$149
7.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 SGD 165
$107 A$153
20.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,015 SGD 3,858
$1,408 A$2,016
114.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 SGD 2,778
$1,201 A$1,721
80.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,842 SGD 7,476
$2,133 A$3,055
173.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,044 SGD 5,175
$1,693 A$2,426
138.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
$5,785 A$8,287
311.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
$4,938 A$7,074
239.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Port Macquarie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,385 SGD 5,611
$2,769 A$3,966
58.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
5.33
-54.22%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Port Macquarie
$1.2K 44.7% $969
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Port Macquarie
$350 23.6% $108
Eating Out
Singapore
$256
Port Macquarie
$280 9.4% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Port Macquarie
$290 38.1% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$167
Port Macquarie
$151 9.5% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$131
Port Macquarie
$73 44.2% $58
Getting Around
Singapore
$107
Port Macquarie
$104 3.3% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,408 in Port Macquarie. 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 58% 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 $87.0 in Port Macquarie. Groceries tell a different story – $458 in Singapore vs $350 in Port Macquarie – so Port Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇦🇺 Port Macquarie
🕒 Local time
05:19 5:19 AM
08:19 8:19 AM
3 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
47,793
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Port Macquarie 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Port Macquarie

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 Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Singapore and in Port Macquarie compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $2,450 in Port Macquarie – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Port Macquarie?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $3,675 in Port Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Singapore and Port Macquarie?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Macquarie, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $87.0 in Port Macquarie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Singapore or Port Macquarie?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,500 in Singapore and $2,450 in Port Macquarie. That's a gap of about 43%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,450, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Port Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Singapore or Port Macquarie?
Families tend to lean toward Port Macquarie – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Singapore or Port Macquarie safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Singapore and Port Macquarie?
If budget matters most, go with Port Macquarie. 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.

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