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Melbourne vs Singapore cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Melbourne
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
At a glance
- Where Singapore is clearly cheaper: Transit (70%โ), Local meal (62%โ), Street food (62%โ)
- Where Melbourne is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (44%โ), Cocktail & wine (31%โ), Coffee (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Melbourne 2 vs Singapore 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Melbourne | Singapore | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 24$16 | S$ 8$6.15 | Singapore โ62% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 15$10 | S$ 5$3.85 | Singapore โ62% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 55$36.7 | S$ 45$34.6 | Singapore โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.6$3.73 | S$ 6.5$5 | Melbourne โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 14$9.33 | S$ 13$10 | Melbourne โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 20$13.3 | S$ 25$19.2 | Melbourne โ31% |
| Bottled water | A$ 4$2.67 | S$ 1.6$1.23 | Singapore โ54% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.8$3.2 | S$ 2.2$1.69 | Singapore โ47% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 18$12 | S$ 12$9.23 | Singapore โ23% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | S$ 9$6.92 | Singapore โ6% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 5.7$3.8 | S$ 1.5$1.15 | Singapore โ70% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 40$26.7 | S$ 20$15.4 | Singapore โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 190$127 | S$ 200$154 | Melbourne โ18% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,150$1,433 | S$ 3,300$2,538 | Melbourne โ44% |
| Laundry | A$ 7.5$5 | S$ 5$3.85 | Singapore โ23% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | S$ 15$11.5 | Singapore โ42% |
| Haircutcut | A$ 38$25.3 | S$ 20$15.4 | Singapore โ39% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 85$56.7 | S$ 60$46.2 | Singapore โ19% |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 90$60 | S$ 70$53.8 | Singapore โ10% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 38$25.3 | S$ 40$30.8 | Melbourne โ18% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Melbourne or Singapore?
Melbourne is 14% cheaper than Singapore. Daily budget $255 vs $249; a month $5,229 vs $7,084.
Which is easier to travel, Melbourne or Singapore?
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Melbourne 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Melbourne and Singapore?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Melbourne is about $5,229 and Singapore about $7,084 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.