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: $3,475 in Singapore versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Singapore versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,008 in Singapore versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Singapore is roughly 383% more expensive than in China on average.

Singapore (152% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Singapore: monthly costs span $3,475 to $3,475, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Singapore.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 SGD 15.31

$2.93 ¥19.60

312.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 SGD 86.6

$22.72 ¥152

200.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 SGD 11.15

$5.07 ¥33.95

73.57%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SGD 6.43

$2.94 ¥19.70

72.79%

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

$1.89 SGD 2.39

$0.48 ¥3.21

293.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SGD 1.53

$0.30 ¥2.02

303.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.52 SGD 10.80

$1.06 ¥7.10

703.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 SGD 12.79

$2.25 ¥15.07

348.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.97 SGD 3.76

$1.79 ¥11.99

65.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 SGD 3.09

$1.70 ¥11.35

43.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 SGD 3.55

$0.96 ¥6.45

192.71%

Eggs

$3.62 SGD 4.59

$1.61 ¥10.79

124.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 SGD 26.28

$13.60 ¥91.1

52.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 SGD 12.32

$3.41 ¥22.84

185.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.66 SGD 32.51

$11.07 ¥74.2

131.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 SGD 5.66

$1.81 ¥12.09

146.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 SGD 3.83

$1.30 ¥8.74

133.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 SGD 5.94

$1.48 ¥9.91

216.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 SGD 2.76

$1.30 ¥8.72

67.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 SGD 3.34

$0.72 ¥4.82

266.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 SGD 2.97

$0.94 ¥6.31

148.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 SGD 2.38

$0.61 ¥4.08

208.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SGD 1.74

$0.56 ¥3.73

144.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 SGD 18.05

$3.67 ¥24.58

288.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.63 SGD 29.95

$11.90 ¥79.7

98.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 SGD 6.07

$0.83 ¥5.56

477.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 SGD 5.74

$1.65 ¥11.08

174.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 SGD 2.02

$0.29 ¥1.92

448.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 SGD 130

$22.61 ¥151

353.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 SGD 4.65

$1.45 ¥9.72

153.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.01

$0.34 ¥2.31

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 SGD 21.31

$7.27 ¥48.72

131.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.10

$1.23 ¥8.26

99.19%

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

$160.4K SGD 203.2K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

720.80%

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

$149.9K SGD 189.9K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

768.86%

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

$162 SGD 205

$55.5 ¥371

191.29%

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

$12.94 SGD 16.39

$8.51 ¥57.0

52.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.99 SGD 34.20

$10.81 ¥72.4

149.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 SGD 140

$40.02 ¥268

176.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.87 SGD 15.04

$14.80 ¥99.1

-19.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 SGD 15.00

$6.73 ¥45.09

75.93%

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

$1,512 SGD 1,916

$454 ¥3,042

232.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K SGD 37.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

52.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 SGD 101

$44.95 ¥301

78.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 SGD 67.6

$35.81 ¥240

49.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 SGD 141

$76.8 ¥514

44.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SGD 166

$77.3 ¥518

69.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,007 SGD 3,810

$385 ¥2,581

680.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 SGD 2,787

$242 ¥1,623

807.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,958 SGD 7,550

$837 ¥5,603

612.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 SGD 4,849

$474 ¥3,177

706.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.7K SGD 30.1K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

413.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.7K SGD 21.2K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

622.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,131 SGD 5,235

$1,062 ¥7,110

289.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

3.47

-29.97%

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

Last update for Singapore: September 8, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $3,051 in Singapore, $295 in China. Capital cities: $3,051 in Singapore vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $4,259 in Singapore, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 934% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 219% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 488% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 392% 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 $852 per month in China and $3,475 in Singapore, there's a 308% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.