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Singapore vs Sydney cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
๐ฆ๐บ Sydney
At a glance
- Where Sydney is clearly cheaper: Coffee (27%โ), Studio rent (month) (26%โ), Cocktail & wine (24%โ)
- Where Singapore is clearly cheaper: Street food (59%โ), Local meal (54%โ), Scooter rental (54%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 1.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Singapore 1 vs Sydney 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Singapore | Sydney | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | S$ 8$6.15 | A$ 20$13.3 | Singapore โ54% |
| Street food1 item | S$ 5$3.85 | A$ 14$9.33 | Singapore โ59% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | S$ 45$34.6 | A$ 60$40 | Singapore โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | S$ 6.5$5 | A$ 5.5$3.67 | Sydney โ27% |
| Beerone bottle | S$ 13$10 | A$ 12$8 | Sydney โ20% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | S$ 25$19.2 | A$ 22$14.7 | Sydney โ24% |
| Bottled water | S$ 1.6$1.23 | A$ 3.5$2.33 | Singapore โ47% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | S$ 2.2$1.69 | A$ 4.5$3 | Singapore โ44% |
| Taxi5 km in town | S$ 12$9.23 | A$ 19$12.7 | Singapore โ27% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | S$ 9$6.92 | A$ 12$8 | Singapore โ13% |
| Transitone ride | S$ 1.5$1.15 | A$ 3.3$2.2 | Singapore โ48% |
| Scooter rentalper day | S$ 20$15.4 | A$ 50$33.3 | Singapore โ54% |
| Hotel night3-star | S$ 200$154 | A$ 220$147 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | S$ 3,300$2,538 | A$ 2,800$1,867 | Sydney โ26% |
| Laundry | S$ 5$3.85 | A$ 7.5$5 | Singapore โ23% |
| SIM card1 week data | S$ 15$11.5 | A$ 30$20 | Singapore โ42% |
| Haircutcut | S$ 20$15.4 | A$ 40$26.7 | Singapore โ42% |
| Massage1 hour | S$ 60$46.2 | A$ 90$60 | Singapore โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | S$ 70$53.8 | A$ 100$66.7 | Singapore โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | S$ 40$30.8 | A$ 45$30 | similar |
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, Singapore or Sydney?
Singapore and Sydney cost about the same. Daily budget $249 vs $274; a month $7,084 vs $6,088.
Which is easier to travel, Singapore or Sydney?
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Sydney 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Singapore and Sydney?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Singapore is about $7,084 and Sydney about $6,088 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.