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Singapore Cost of Living 2026
🇸🇬 Prices in Singapore are based on Singapore. Not the exchange rate — how cheap it feels on your own income, and where a price becomes a rip-off. Updated October 2026
Cities in Singapore compared
| City | Per day | Per month | Local meal | Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇬 SingaporeBig city | $249 | $7,084 | S$8 | S$6.5 |
Per day = one mid-range night + three meals, a coffee and two taxi rides. Open a city for item-by-item prices, rip-off thresholds and live traveler reports.
Everyday prices in Singapore
| City | Beer | 5 km taxi | Hotel night | Massage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | S$13 | S$12 | S$200 | S$60 |
Singapore vs nearby countries
| Country | Per day | Per month | vs Singapore |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | $125 | $1,924 | -50% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $127 | $1,948 | -49% |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $136 | $1,771 | -45% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $158 | $2,919 | -37% |
| 🇲🇴 Macau | $173 | $4,196 | -31% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $177 | $2,387 | -29% |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | $225 | $6,135 | -10% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $249 | $7,084 | this country |
Countries in the same region with a similar daily travel budget. Tap a country for its city-by-city prices.
Singapore vs New York: item by item
| Item | Singapore | New York | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local meal | S$8≈ $6.15 | $20 | -69% |
| Coffee | S$6.5≈ $5 | $6 | -17% |
| Beer | S$13≈ $10 | $9 | +11% |
| 5 km taxi | S$12≈ $9.23 | $23 | -60% |
| Hotel night | S$200≈ $154 | $270 | -43% |
| 1-bed rent | S$3,300≈ $2,538 | $3,300 | -23% |
Same purchase in both cities, converted to US dollars. Daily travel budget: Singapore $249 vs New York $467 — about 47% cheaper.
Compare Singapore with other cities
Money tips for Singapore
Paying
Cards and mobile pay work almost everywhere; some hawker stalls take cash or QR only.
Tipping
No tipping culture; service is already included.
Menu prices
A "++" means 10% service plus GST on top; hawker centres charge the posted price.
Getting around
Tap in on MRT and buses with a contactless card; taxis and Grab are metered or app-priced.
Haggling
Haggling is rare.
Water
Tap water is safe to drink.
Common rip-offs
Rare. For seafood priced "market price" in tourist spots, confirm weight and price before ordering.
Singapore travel difficulty
| City | Overall | Rip-offs | Language | Transport | Payments | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Very easy 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, 1–5 (closer to 1 is easier). Tap a city for reasons and tips. Full difficulty ranking ›
City guides
FAQ
How much is a daily travel budget in Singapore?
In Singapore, about $249 a day with a mid-range room. Hostels and local eateries cut that by 30% or more.
How much does a month in Singapore cost?
In Singapore, short-term rental plus living costs come to about $7,084 a month.
Which city in Singapore is cheapest?
Singapore runs about $249 a day.
Which nearby country is cheaper than Singapore?
Among countries in the same region with similar budgets, Azerbaijan runs about $125 a day — 50% less than Singapore (about $249).
Is Singapore cheaper than New York?
In Singapore, a traveler's day runs about $249 versus $467 in New York — roughly 47% cheaper. The gap differs by item, so meals, coffee, taxis and hotels are listed separately above.