Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,526 in Singapore versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,196 in Singapore versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,865 in Singapore versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Singapore is roughly 395% more expensive than China on average.

Singapore (162% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Singapore: monthly costs span $3,526 to $3,526, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Singapore.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 SGD 13.93

$2.86 ¥19.36

279.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 SGD 98.2

$23.29 ¥158

228.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 SGD 9.77

$4.83 ¥32.66

57.56%

Cappuccino

$5.02 SGD 6.45

$3.04 ¥20.52

65.13%

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

$1.69 SGD 2.17

$0.45 ¥3.03

275.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 SGD 1.51

$0.27 ¥1.81

337.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 SGD 9.99

$0.99 ¥6.71

685.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 SGD 12.11

$2.03 ¥13.74

364.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 SGD 3.84

$1.75 ¥11.86

70.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 SGD 3.12

$1.67 ¥11.31

45.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 SGD 3.63

$0.97 ¥6.56

191.75%

Eggs

$3.28 SGD 4.21

$1.54 ¥10.45

112.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.40 SGD 24.90

$13.30 ¥89.9

45.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 SGD 14.46

$3.21 ¥21.69

251.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.95 SGD 29.46

$10.79 ¥73.0

112.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.75

$1.81 ¥12.27

147.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 SGD 3.89

$1.31 ¥8.84

131.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 SGD 6.37

$1.50 ¥10.15

230.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 SGD 3.36

$1.14 ¥7.74

129.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$0.73 ¥4.90

235.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 SGD 2.77

$0.87 ¥5.86

148.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SGD 2.64

$0.57 ¥3.85

261.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SGD 1.95

$0.54 ¥3.63

181.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 SGD 16.98

$3.53 ¥23.88

274.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.28 SGD 32.46

$11.71 ¥79.2

115.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.20 SGD 5.39

$0.84 ¥5.67

400.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 SGD 6.51

$1.67 ¥11.29

203.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 SGD 1.95

$0.41 ¥2.75

270.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 SGD 121

$20.78 ¥141

353.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 SGD 4.51

$1.36 ¥9.21

158.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.98

$0.33 ¥2.21

130.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.41 SGD 21.06

$6.86 ¥46.40

139.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 SGD 2.93

$1.12 ¥7.57

103.57%

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

$138.0K SGD 177.2K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

619.32%

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

$127.8K SGD 164.1K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

655.13%

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

$159 SGD 204

$51.8 ¥350

206.70%

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

$18.76 SGD 24.08

$9.85 ¥66.6

90.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.64 SGD 47.04

$11.13 ¥75.3

229.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 SGD 151

$39.10 ¥264

200.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.22 SGD 15.69

$14.89 ¥101

-17.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 SGD 14.96

$6.25 ¥42.24

86.40%

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

$1,194 SGD 1,533

$404 ¥2,732

195.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K SGD 38.2K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

66.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 SGD 104

$46.11 ¥312

76.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 SGD 55.2

$32.27 ¥218

33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SGD 135

$72.7 ¥491

44.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SGD 163

$72.9 ¥493

74.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,131 SGD 4,020

$445 ¥3,009

603.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,232 SGD 2,866

$255 ¥1,727

774.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,056 SGD 7,776

$927 ¥6,266

553.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,747 SGD 4,811

$532 ¥3,600

603.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.2K SGD 29.8K

$4,943 ¥33.4K

368.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.2K SGD 20.8K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

549.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,259 SGD 5,468

$1,057 ¥7,148

302.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

4.06

-21.43%

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

Last update for Singapore: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $3,127 in Singapore, $286 in China. Capital cities: $3,127 in Singapore vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $4,298 in Singapore, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 993% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 271% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 422% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 399% higher in Singapore.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $3,526 in Singapore, there's a 305% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Singapore beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Singapore, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Singapore may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.