Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,636 per month in Singapore vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,221 per month in Singapore vs $3,217 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,805 per month in Singapore vs $4,249 in Australia, rent included.

Singapore costs about 66% more than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Singapore and Australia are pricier than the global median – Singapore by 172%, Australia by 63%.

Singapore has a wider regional cost range ($3,636–$3,636) than Australia ($1,584–$2,827), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Singapore.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 SGD 14.13

$16.24 A$22.73

-32.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 SGD 99.5

$77.1 A$108

0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 SGD 9.98

$9.81 A$13.74

-20.49%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SGD 6.50

$3.58 A$5.01

41.90%

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

$1.65 SGD 2.12

$2.57 A$3.60

-35.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 SGD 1.59

$2.18 A$3.05

-43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 SGD 9.91

$6.63 A$9.28

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SGD 11.95

$7.12 A$9.97

31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 SGD 3.77

$1.50 A$2.10

96.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.53 A$3.54

-5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 SGD 3.68

$2.07 A$2.90

39.13%

Eggs

$3.31 SGD 4.24

$4.29 A$6.01

-22.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.78 SGD 25.32

$8.65 A$12.11

128.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.13 SGD 14.25

$8.34 A$11.68

33.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.02 SGD 29.47

$13.90 A$19.47

65.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 SGD 5.60

$3.30 A$4.61

32.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 SGD 3.72

$2.77 A$3.88

5.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.77 SGD 6.11

$2.95 A$4.13

61.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 SGD 3.35

$4.19 A$5.87

-37.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 SGD 3.11

$2.42 A$3.39

0.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$2.10 A$2.94

6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SGD 2.59

$2.26 A$3.16

-10.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.94

$1.50 A$2.10

0.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 SGD 16.90

$31.58 A$44.22

-58.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.92 SGD 33.18

$14.29 A$20.00

81.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 SGD 5.30

$4.59 A$6.42

-9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 SGD 6.79

$4.82 A$6.75

9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 SGD 1.95

$3.02 A$4.22

-49.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 SGD 121

$98.3 A$138

-3.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.64

$3.48 A$4.88

4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 SGD 0.92

$1.75 A$2.45

-58.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.65 SGD 21.31

$37.97 A$53.2

-56.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 SGD 2.87

$1.21 A$1.69

85.12%

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

$138.3K SGD 177.0K

$29.0K A$40.6K

376.30%

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

$129.9K SGD 166.3K

$22.6K A$31.6K

475.63%

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

$156 SGD 200

$177 A$248

-11.86%

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

$18.53 SGD 23.72

$26.85 A$37.59

-30.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.42 SGD 47.90

$52.4 A$73.4

-28.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$117 SGD 150

$47.57 A$66.6

146.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.30 SGD 15.74

$16.46 A$23.04

-25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 SGD 15.03

$13.73 A$19.23

-14.49%

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

$1,178 SGD 1,508

$1,593 A$2,231

-26.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K SGD 37.7K

$12.7K A$17.8K

131.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 SGD 103

$72.0 A$101

12.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.22 SGD 54.0

$51.3 A$71.8

-17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SGD 138

$103 A$144

4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 SGD 164

$108 A$152

18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,184 SGD 4,075

$1,401 A$1,961

127.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 SGD 2,848

$1,080 A$1,512

106.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,102 SGD 7,810

$2,340 A$3,276

160.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,818 SGD 4,887

$1,756 A$2,459

117.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.7K SGD 30.3K

$7,733 A$10.8K

206.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.1K

$5,563 A$7,788

196.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,239 SGD 5,426

$4,000 A$5,600

5.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.35

-49.76%

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

Last update for Singapore: April 28, 2026

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $3,108 in Singapore vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,108 in Singapore and $1,529 in Canberra.

Average salary: $4,316 in Singapore vs $3,878 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 152% higher in Singapore.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 11% higher in Singapore, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 65% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Singapore, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Singapore consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 65% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Singapore it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.