Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Singapore

Name: Singapore
Address: SG

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

United States $2,734
Singapore $3,523

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

United States $3,985
Singapore $5,260

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

United States $5,235
Singapore $6,996

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 the United States is roughly 22% lower than in Singapore on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$11.66 SGD 14.90

71.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$74.3 SGD 95.0

7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.43 SGD 10.77

39.98%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.08 SGD 6.49

9.25%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.90 SGD 2.43

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.28 SGD 1.64

69.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$8.67 SGD 11.08

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$9.94 SGD 12.70

-20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$3.01 SGD 3.85

-65.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.54 SGD 3.25

41.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.74 SGD 3.50

64.96%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.74 SGD 4.78

14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$21.17 SGD 27.05

-37.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$9.64 SGD 12.32

30.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$25.69 SGD 32.82

-31.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.57 SGD 5.84

15.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.09 SGD 3.95

-45.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.73 SGD 6.05

-6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.27 SGD 2.90

110.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.59 SGD 3.31

14.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.40 SGD 3.07

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.95 SGD 2.49

12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.42 SGD 1.81

65.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$14.12 SGD 18.04

-22.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$23.34 SGD 29.81

-35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.59 SGD 5.86

-55.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.63 SGD 5.92

-18.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.59 SGD 2.03

22.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$96.3 SGD 123

-38.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.75 SGD 4.79

-4.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.76 SGD 0.98

147.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$16.66 SGD 21.29

79.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-58.70%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$154.9K SGD 197.9K

-81.44%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$153.9K SGD 196.6K

-82.97%

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

$218 $218

$173 SGD 221

25.89%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$12.14 SGD 15.51

414.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$28.72 SGD 36.70

159.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$112 SGD 144

-62.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$12.08 SGD 15.43

88.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$11.94 SGD 15.26

23.12%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$1,878 SGD 2,399

-20.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$28.7K SGD 36.7K

-12.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$78.5 SGD 100

-30.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$50.2 SGD 64.1

-14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$110 SGD 141

-14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$124 SGD 158

-8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$3,069 SGD 3,921

-45.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$2,185 SGD 2,792

-38.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$5,992 SGD 7,655

-55.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$3,981 SGD 5,086

-45.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$22.8K SGD 29.2K

-85.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$16.5K SGD 21.1K

-84.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$4,528 SGD 5,784

-5.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

2.44

168.44%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Singapore

$2.2K 62% 62.2% $838

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Singapore

$458 13% 10.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Singapore

$214 6.1% 39.7% $141

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Singapore

$256 7.3% 22.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Singapore

$163 4.6% 19% $26

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Singapore

$110 3.1% 37.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Singapore

$136 3.9% 91.2% $65

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $4,464 in Singapore. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

13 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

5,866,139

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 SGD = 0.783 USD

1 SGD = 0.701 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.783 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.701 EUR).

SGD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
Singapore

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

United States vs Singapore: 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.