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: $3,625 in Singapore versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,161 in Singapore versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,696 in Singapore versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Singapore is roughly 409% more expensive than in China on average.

Singapore (172% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Singapore: monthly costs span $3,625 to $3,625, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Singapore.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 SGD 14.24

$2.77 ¥18.72

298.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.8 SGD 98.9

$24.05 ¥162

219.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 SGD 9.84

$4.73 ¥31.93

61.52%

Cappuccino

$4.94 SGD 6.37

$3.08 ¥20.78

60.39%

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

$1.71 SGD 2.21

$0.44 ¥3.00

288.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.59

$0.29 ¥1.98

324.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 SGD 10.25

$1.01 ¥6.80

687.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 SGD 12.37

$2.08 ¥14.03

361.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 SGD 3.96

$1.83 ¥12.39

67.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 SGD 3.09

$1.62 ¥10.94

48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 SGD 3.63

$0.97 ¥6.58

189.69%

Eggs

$3.42 SGD 4.41

$1.61 ¥10.90

112.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.52 SGD 25.15

$13.34 ¥90.1

46.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 SGD 14.38

$3.37 ¥22.75

231.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.86 SGD 29.46

$10.68 ¥72.2

114.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 SGD 5.85

$1.81 ¥12.26

150.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SGD 3.73

$1.25 ¥8.44

132.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 SGD 6.14

$1.46 ¥9.88

226.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 SGD 3.53

$1.15 ¥7.73

138.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 SGD 3.11

$0.73 ¥4.92

231.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 SGD 2.78

$0.89 ¥5.99

141.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SGD 2.55

$0.60 ¥4.05

230.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SGD 1.97

$0.53 ¥3.59

188.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.38 SGD 17.24

$3.39 ¥22.93

294.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.89 SGD 29.50

$11.73 ¥79.3

95.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 SGD 5.64

$0.77 ¥5.23

468.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 SGD 6.54

$1.63 ¥10.98

211.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 SGD 1.99

$0.41 ¥2.77

278.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.2 SGD 120

$21.24 ¥143

338.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 SGD 4.72

$1.35 ¥9.13

171.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 SGD 0.93

$0.36 ¥2.40

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 SGD 21.30

$6.70 ¥45.26

146.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 SGD 2.80

$1.18 ¥7.98

83.90%

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

$139.3K SGD 179.5K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

604.95%

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

$129.7K SGD 167.2K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

684.55%

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

$158 SGD 203

$51.7 ¥349

205.16%

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

$18.28 SGD 23.56

$10.09 ¥68.2

81.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.88 SGD 47.52

$11.38 ¥76.9

224.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 SGD 150

$39.24 ¥265

196.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 SGD 15.96

$14.84 ¥100

-16.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 SGD 14.99

$6.30 ¥42.56

84.60%

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

$1,188 SGD 1,531

$414 ¥2,795

187.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K SGD 37.8K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

68.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 SGD 107

$46.77 ¥316

77.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 SGD 56.1

$33.08 ¥223

31.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SGD 138

$70.9 ¥479

50.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SGD 164

$74.5 ¥503

70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,182 SGD 4,101

$440 ¥2,972

623.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 SGD 2,968

$253 ¥1,707

811.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,262 SGD 8,069

$911 ¥6,153

587.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 SGD 4,844

$531 ¥3,584

608.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.4K SGD 30.1K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

389.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K SGD 21.0K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

577.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,033 SGD 5,196

$1,058 ¥7,144

281.25%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $3,206 in Singapore, $287 in China. Capital cities: $3,206 in Singapore vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,941 in Singapore, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1017% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 276% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 411% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 360% higher in Singapore, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $873 per month in China and $3,625 in Singapore, there's a 315% 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.