Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,537 a month against $3,480 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

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🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,480

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Australia

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

A single person spends $3,480 per month in Singapore vs $2,537 in Australia, rent included.

Singapore $3,480
Australia $2,537

A couple spends around $5,194 per month in Singapore vs $3,682 in Australia, rent included.

Singapore $5,194
Australia $3,682

A family of three spends $6,908 per month in Singapore vs $4,828 in Australia, rent included.

Singapore $6,908
Australia $4,828

The regional cost range is wider in Singapore ($3,453–$3,453) than in Australia ($1,614–$3,182), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Singapore is about 37% higher than in Australia on average.

Both Singapore and Australia are pricier than the global median – Singapore by 160%, Australia by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 SGD 15.21

$17.66 A$25.36

-32.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 SGD 89.5

$82.8 A$119

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$11.22 A$16.11

-21.93%

Cappuccino

$5.09 SGD 6.52

$3.85 A$5.53

32.21%

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

$1.85 SGD 2.36

$2.85 A$4.09

-35.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 SGD 1.52

$2.37 A$3.40

-50.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 SGD 10.67

$7.85 A$11.28

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 SGD 13.17

$8.49 A$12.20

21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 SGD 3.77

$1.74 A$2.49

69.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 SGD 3.18

$2.78 A$4.00

-10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 SGD 3.56

$2.21 A$3.17

25.79%

Eggs

$3.60 SGD 4.61

$5.06 A$7.27

-28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.49 SGD 27.52

$9.87 A$14.17

117.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 SGD 12.35

$8.95 A$12.85

7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.13 SGD 32.19

$14.71 A$21.13

70.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$3.76 A$5.41

21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 SGD 3.82

$2.99 A$4.30

-0.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.66 SGD 5.97

$3.10 A$4.45

50.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 SGD 2.90

$4.62 A$6.64

-50.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 SGD 3.31

$2.82 A$4.05

-8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 SGD 2.96

$2.30 A$3.30

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 SGD 2.36

$2.32 A$3.33

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SGD 1.86

$1.71 A$2.45

-14.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 SGD 18.13

$38.17 A$54.8

-62.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.82 SGD 30.50

$13.77 A$19.78

72.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 SGD 5.90

$4.91 A$7.05

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 SGD 5.89

$5.02 A$7.22

-8.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 SGD 2.03

$2.84 A$4.08

-44.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 SGD 120

$94.3 A$135

-0.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 SGD 4.59

$3.44 A$4.94

4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.59 A$2.28

-52.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 SGD 20.76

$39.37 A$56.5

-58.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 SGD 3.12

$1.31 A$1.89

86.26%

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

$160.5K SGD 205.6K

$27.7K A$39.8K

478.81%

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

$148.0K SGD 189.6K

$28.1K A$40.3K

427.35%

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

$171 SGD 220

$201 A$289

-14.76%

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

$12.22 SGD 15.64

$28.45 A$40.87

-57.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.34 SGD 33.73

$57.4 A$82.5

-54.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 SGD 141

$56.7 A$81.4

94.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 SGD 15.88

$19.28 A$27.70

-35.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 SGD 15.17

$15.07 A$21.64

-21.37%

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

$1,490 SGD 1,908

$2,116 A$3,039

-29.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K SGD 35.9K

$18.3K A$26.2K

53.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 SGD 104

$79.5 A$114

1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 SGD 65.5

$54.9 A$78.8

-6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SGD 141

$113 A$162

-2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$122 A$175

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,011 SGD 3,856

$1,582 A$2,273

90.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 SGD 2,734

$1,225 A$1,759

74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,793 SGD 7,418

$2,409 A$3,460

140.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,921 SGD 5,021

$1,911 A$2,744

105.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.4K SGD 30.0K

$7,995 A$11.5K

192.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K SGD 21.6K

$5,968 A$8,573

182.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,341 SGD 5,559

$3,926 A$5,640

10.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.92

-58.78%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 4, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.6%

Australia

$1.2K 48% 42.6% $910

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$456 13.2%

Australia

$370 14.5% 18.8% $86

Eating Out

Singapore

$257 7.4%

Australia

$298 11.7% 16.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6.1%

Australia

$287 11.3% 36.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Australia

$166 6.5% 0.4% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$134 3.9%

Australia

$87 3.4% 35.2% $47

Getting Around

Singapore

$108 3.1%

Australia

$117 4.6% 8.8% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,916 in Singapore vs $1,371 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,916 in Singapore and $1,711 in Canberra.

Average salary: $4,369 in Singapore vs $3,856 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 113% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 17% more in Australia.

Public transport is 26% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 13% higher in Singapore, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

21:32 9:32 PM

3 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,866,139

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.697 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.697 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Between locations

Singapore Australia 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Australia

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 Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 37% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Singapore: a central one-bedroom averages $2,916 versus $1,371 in Australia.

$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.