Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Townsville

For one person, living is cheaper in Townsville: $2,740 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
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Townsville Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Townsville

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $2,740 in Townsville.

Singapore $3,500
Townsville $2,740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $4,002 in Townsville.

Singapore $5,265
Townsville $4,002

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $5,265 in Townsville.

Singapore $7,030
Townsville $5,265

Living in Singapore is roughly 28% more expensive than in Townsville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Townsville 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$20.94 A$30.13

-43.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$67.6 A$97.3

4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$11.69 A$16.82

-26.86%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.60 A$5.18

44.44%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$2.49 A$3.59

-28.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$2.38 A$3.43

-48.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$8.10 A$11.66

1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$6.94 A$9.98

46.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.85 A$2.66

64.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$2.19 A$3.15

16.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$1.43 A$2.06

100.00%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$5.30 A$7.63

-33.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$7.84 A$11.29

169.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$9.93 A$14.29

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$13.24 A$19.05

91.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.95 A$5.69

15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.64 A$3.80

18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$3.56 A$5.13

32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.20 A$6.05

-46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.57 A$3.70

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.52 A$3.63

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.29 A$3.30

-18.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$2.14 A$3.08

-32.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$30.34 A$43.66

-53.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$10.37 A$14.92

126.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$6.70 A$9.65

-32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$8.45 A$12.15

-47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$2.10 A$3.02

-25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$77.0 A$111

21.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.91 A$5.63

-6.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.37 A$3.42

-67.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$52.6 A$75.6

-69.29%

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 198.5K

$28.0K A$40.4K

453.15%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$34.0K A$48.9K

336.80%

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

$172 SGD 220

$379 A$546

-54.75%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$35.76 A$51.5

-65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$67.6 A$97.2

-61.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$55.3 A$79.6

95.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$19.74 A$28.40

-37.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$15.26 A$21.96

-23.72%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$2,105 A$3,029

-29.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$21.2K A$30.4K

33.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$91.9 A$132

-12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$69.9 A$101

-28.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$163 A$234

-31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$129 A$186

-0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,315 A$1,892

129.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,177 A$1,694

84.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$2,467 A$3,551

136.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$2,081 A$2,995

94.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,850 A$6,979

390.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$3,960 A$5,699

322.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$4,115 A$5,921

6.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.54

-55.96%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Townsville: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Townsville

$1.2K 43% 45.8% $994

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Townsville

$370 13.5% 19.2% $88

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Townsville

$320 11.7% 24.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Townsville

$482 17.6% 130% $272

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Townsville

$204 7.5% 22.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Townsville

$86 3.1% 34.7% $46

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Townsville

$101 3.7% 5.8% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $1,315 in Townsville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 7% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $68.0 in Townsville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $370 per month, with Townsville cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Townsville

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

173,724

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Townsville 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Townsville

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 Townsville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Townsville is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,315 in Townsville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $2,740 in Townsville – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Townsville runs roughly 22% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,740 in Townsville versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Townsville but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Townsville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Townsville 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 Townsville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.