Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,734 a month against $3,523 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,523

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,523 per month in Singapore vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Singapore $3,523
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $5,260 per month in Singapore vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Singapore $5,260
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $6,996 per month in Singapore vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Singapore $6,996
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Singapore ($3,544–$3,544), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Singapore is about 29% higher than in the United States on average.

Both Singapore and the United States are pricier than the global median – Singapore by 159%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.66 SGD 14.94

$20.03 $20.03

-41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SGD 95.2

$80.0 $80.0

-7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 SGD 10.80

$11.80 $11.80

-28.56%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SGD 6.51

$5.55 $5.55

-8.47%

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

$1.90 SGD 2.43

$2.66 $2.66

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 SGD 1.64

$2.17 $2.17

-41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SGD 11.11

$6.12 $6.12

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 SGD 12.74

$7.94 $7.94

25.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 SGD 3.86

$1.04 $1.04

189.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 SGD 3.26

$3.59 $3.59

-29.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 SGD 3.51

$4.52 $4.52

-39.38%

Eggs

$3.74 SGD 4.79

$4.28 $4.28

-12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.17 SGD 27.13

$13.22 $13.22

60.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 SGD 12.35

$12.60 $12.60

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.69 SGD 32.91

$17.60 $17.60

45.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$5.30 $5.30

-13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SGD 3.96

$1.69 $1.69

82.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 SGD 6.06

$4.44 $4.44

6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 SGD 2.90

$4.77 $4.77

-52.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 SGD 3.32

$2.97 $2.97

-12.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 SGD 3.08

$3.15 $3.15

-23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 SGD 2.50

$2.20 $2.20

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SGD 1.82

$2.35 $2.35

-39.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 SGD 18.09

$10.98 $10.98

28.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.34 SGD 29.90

$15.05 $15.05

55.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 SGD 5.88

$2.06 $2.06

122.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 SGD 5.93

$3.79 $3.79

22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 SGD 2.04

$1.94 $1.94

-18.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 SGD 123

$59.4 $59.4

62.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 SGD 4.81

$3.58 $3.58

4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.98

$1.88 $1.88

-59.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.66 SGD 21.35

$29.84 $29.84

-44.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.47 SGD 3.17

$1.02 $1.02

142.16%

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

$154.9K SGD 198.5K

$28.8K $28.8K

438.76%

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

$153.9K SGD 197.2K

$26.2K $26.2K

487.23%

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

$173 SGD 222

$218 $218

-20.57%

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

$12.14 SGD 15.55

$62.5 $62.5

-80.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 SGD 36.80

$74.5 $74.5

-61.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 144

$41.86 $41.86

168.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.08 SGD 15.47

$22.81 $22.81

-47.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 SGD 15.30

$14.70 $14.70

-18.78%

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

$1,878 SGD 2,406

$1,489 $1,489

26.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

13.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 SGD 101

$54.3 $54.3

44.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 SGD 64.3

$42.71 $42.71

17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SGD 141

$94.1 $94.1

17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 SGD 158

$114 $114

8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 SGD 3,932

$1,659 $1,659

84.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 SGD 2,800

$1,348 $1,348

62.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,992 SGD 7,676

$2,682 $2,682

123.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,981 SGD 5,101

$2,169 $2,169

83.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.8K SGD 29.3K

$3,283 $3,283

596.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.2K

$2,482 $2,482

565.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,528 SGD 5,800

$4,296 $4,296

5.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.55

-62.75%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 38.3% $838

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13%

United States

$415 15.2% 9.4% $43

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

United States

$328 12% 28.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.1%

United States

$355 13% 65.8% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$163 4.6%

United States

$137 5% 16% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$136 3.9%

United States

$71 2.6% 47.7% $65

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.1%

United States

$80 2.9% 27.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $3,098 in Singapore vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,098 in Singapore and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $4,464 in Singapore vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 91% higher in Singapore.

Public transport is 54% more expensive in Singapore.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

15:32 3:32 PM

12 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,866,139

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.7 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.7 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore United States 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 22% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Singapore: a central one-bedroom averages $3,098 versus $1,620 in the United States.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.