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: $3,651 in Singapore versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,227 in Singapore versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,803 in Singapore versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Singapore is roughly 413% more expensive than China on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Singapore: monthly costs span $3,651 to $3,651, compared to $532–$1,187 in China. City choice carries more weight in Singapore.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 SGD 13.90

$2.75 ¥18.80

297.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 SGD 99.4

$24.07 ¥165

225.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 SGD 9.90

$4.84 ¥33.11

60.95%

Cappuccino

$4.94 SGD 6.28

$2.97 ¥20.29

66.33%

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

$1.65 SGD 2.09

$0.45 ¥3.05

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 SGD 1.50

$0.29 ¥2.00

306.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 SGD 9.96

$1.00 ¥6.85

684.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 SGD 12.00

$2.06 ¥14.11

358.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 SGD 3.81

$1.82 ¥12.46

64.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 SGD 2.94

$1.62 ¥11.07

43.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 SGD 3.69

$0.91 ¥6.20

219.78%

Eggs

$3.43 SGD 4.35

$1.54 ¥10.55

122.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 SGD 24.47

$13.32 ¥91.1

44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 SGD 14.35

$3.27 ¥22.38

245.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.66 SGD 28.77

$10.56 ¥72.2

114.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 SGD 5.66

$1.76 ¥12.01

152.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 SGD 3.78

$1.30 ¥8.91

129.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 SGD 6.34

$1.45 ¥9.93

244.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 SGD 3.31

$1.19 ¥8.16

118.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 SGD 3.14

$0.71 ¥4.83

247.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 SGD 2.72

$0.91 ¥6.23

135.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 SGD 2.47

$0.57 ¥3.89

242.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.92

$0.53 ¥3.65

184.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.25 SGD 16.82

$3.50 ¥23.97

278.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.64 SGD 32.56

$11.85 ¥81.1

116.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.28 SGD 5.44

$0.84 ¥5.72

409.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 SGD 6.77

$1.68 ¥11.49

217.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.00

$0.44 ¥3.00

259.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 SGD 120

$20.76 ¥142

356.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 SGD 4.48

$1.36 ¥9.28

159.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 SGD 0.90

$0.35 ¥2.43

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.37 SGD 20.79

$6.65 ¥45.47

146.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 SGD 2.87

$1.17 ¥7.99

93.16%

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

$142.0K SGD 180.4K

$19.1K ¥130.8K

642.51%

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

$129.6K SGD 164.6K

$17.1K ¥117.2K

656.07%

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

$156 SGD 198

$52.0 ¥355

199.65%

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

$18.51 SGD 23.51

$9.65 ¥66.0

91.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.55 SGD 47.69

$11.16 ¥76.3

236.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$119 SGD 151

$40.48 ¥277

194.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.30 SGD 15.62

$14.75 ¥101

-16.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 SGD 15.10

$6.35 ¥43.45

87.24%

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

$1,195 SGD 1,517

$410 ¥2,803

191.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K SGD 38.3K

$17.8K ¥121.8K

69.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 SGD 103

$46.08 ¥315

76.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 SGD 54.4

$32.86 ¥225

30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SGD 134

$71.2 ¥487

47.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 SGD 163

$75.3 ¥515

70.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 SGD 3,946

$430 ¥2,942

622.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,302 SGD 2,924

$261 ¥1,784

782.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,125 SGD 7,779

$914 ¥6,254

569.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,751 SGD 4,763

$542 ¥3,711

591.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.9K SGD 30.4K

$5,177 ¥35.4K

362.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.0K

$2,630 ¥18.0K

527.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,335 SGD 5,505

$1,060 ¥7,250

308.98%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $3,129 in Singapore, $287 in China. Capital cities: $3,129 in Singapore vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $4,332 in Singapore, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 990% higher in Singapore.

Dining out costs 267% more in Singapore.

Public transport is 417% more expensive in Singapore.

Salaries are 420% 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 $860 per month in China and $3,651 in Singapore, there's a 325% 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.