Actual rental, grocery and transport costs by neighbourhood. From a local with 25 years in corporate Singapore. From a local with 40 years of Singapore experience.
The honest answer to "how expensive is Singapore?" is: more than you expect for housing and eating in restaurants, less than you expect for everything else. The composite picture — a city ranked consistently in the top five most expensive in the world — is real but misleading if you don't know which parts of that ranking apply to your actual life. A family in a HDB flat eating at hawker centres every day lives in a genuinely affordable city. A family in a river-facing condo eating at restaurants every night lives in an expensive one. The numbers below reflect both realities.
Housing is where the cost of living in Singapore diverges most sharply depending on choices. The rental market in 2024-2025 has stabilised after the post-COVID spike, but remains elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. As a general framework:
A one-bedroom apartment in a private condominium in a central district (Orchard, River Valley, Tanjong Pagar) runs SGD 3,200–4,500 per month. The same size in a non-central but well-connected district (Queenstown, Tiong Bahru, Ang Mo Kio) runs SGD 2,200–3,200. HDB flats — public housing that also has an active private rental market — can be rented by foreigners and run SGD 2,000–3,000 for a three-bedroom flat in a mature estate. Landed property (terrace houses, semi-detached) for rent starts around SGD 6,000–8,000 and rises steeply based on size and location.
Most expatriate packages benchmark housing at SGD 3,500–5,000 per month for a two-bedroom apartment. Companies with regional HQs in Singapore typically use SGD 4,500–6,000 for a family-sized unit. These benchmarks are broadly accurate but require local knowledge to execute well — the difference between a well-located SGD 3,200 apartment and a poorly-located SGD 4,000 one is not reflected in the price.
Singapore has two food economies operating simultaneously. The hawker centre economy — which is subsidised by the government through below-market stall rents and is explicitly part of Singapore's social policy — provides meals at SGD 3.50–6.00 for a complete dish. A kopitiam (coffee shop) meal with a drink costs SGD 5.00–8.00. This covers the majority of what Singaporeans eat on a daily basis.
The restaurant economy — casual dining to fine dining — runs from SGD 15–25 for a main at a casual Western restaurant to SGD 150–300 per person at high-end establishments. This is comparable to London or Sydney pricing at the upper end and somewhat cheaper than equivalent London restaurants at the casual end.
Monthly food costs for a single person: SGD 400–600 eating primarily at hawker centres with occasional restaurant meals. For a couple: SGD 800–1,200 on the same pattern. These are genuine numbers from living here, not estimates.
Singapore's public transport is one of the better arguments against the city's expensive reputation. A monthly MRT and bus commute from most residential areas to the CBD costs SGD 80–130. Single journeys average SGD 1.00–2.00. The network covers the island comprehensively and operates reliably.
Grab (the regional Uber equivalent) is widely used for trips where the MRT doesn't connect conveniently. A cross-town Grab ride (e.g., Jurong West to Kallang) typically runs SGD 15–25. Airport runs from the CBD are SGD 20–35 depending on time of day. Car ownership is expensive by design — the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system limits the number of vehicles on the road and a mid-range car typically costs SGD 120,000–150,000 all-in. Most expatriates in Singapore do not own cars and do not need them.
Singapore has a deliberate two-tier healthcare system — public hospitals (restructured hospitals) that are heavily subsidised for Singapore citizens and PRs, and private hospitals and clinics that operate at market rates. For employment pass holders without permanent resident status, public hospital subsidies do not apply — you pay the unsubsidised rate, which is still below equivalent private hospital rates in Australia or the UK.
A GP consultation at a private clinic: SGD 30–60. At a polyclinic (government primary care): SGD 12–35 (subsidised for Singapore citizens and PRs; foreigners pay the unsubsidised rate of around SGD 42–50, still lower than private clinics). A specialist consultation at a private hospital: SGD 150–300. Hospitalisation at a private hospital: SGD 500–1,500 per day depending on ward type and procedure.
Most expatriate employment packages include health insurance that covers private hospital treatment. Verify specifically whether your policy covers restructured hospitals (it should) and what the claim process involves — Singapore's MediShield Life system does not apply to foreigners, so your private insurance is your primary coverage.
For families with school-age children, education is the cost variable that can swing total monthly expenses by SGD 2,000–5,000. International school fees in Singapore are among the highest in Asia: most schools charge SGD 25,000–45,000 per child per year, with some running above SGD 50,000. This is typically covered by expatriate packages for company-funded relocations and is the primary driver of why Singapore compensation packages look inflated compared to equivalent roles in the UK or Australia.
Local schools are free or nearly free for Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Employment pass holders are not eligible for local primary schools through the standard ballot, though some places are available through the supplementary intake. A thorough understanding of the school landscape — curriculum options, location, waitlist realities, what fees actually cover — is worth the investment of an advisory session before committing to a school.
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