Popular cities
Singapore vs Taipei cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
๐น๐ผ Taipei
At a glance
- Where Taipei is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (72%โ), Entry ticket (64%โ), Restaurant dinner (54%โ)
- Where Singapore is clearly cheaper: SIM card (19%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: language โ Singapore 1 vs Taipei 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Singapore | Taipei | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | S$ 8$6.15 | NT$ 130$4.13 | Taipei โ33% |
| Street food1 item | S$ 5$3.85 | NT$ 70$2.22 | Taipei โ42% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | S$ 45$34.6 | NT$ 500$15.9 | Taipei โ54% |
| Coffeeone cup | S$ 6.5$5 | NT$ 130$4.13 | Taipei โ17% |
| Beerone bottle | S$ 13$10 | NT$ 150$4.76 | Taipei โ52% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | S$ 25$19.2 | NT$ 350$11.1 | Taipei โ42% |
| Bottled water | S$ 1.6$1.23 | NT$ 25$0.79 | Taipei โ36% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | S$ 2.2$1.69 | NT$ 30$0.95 | Taipei โ44% |
| Taxi5 km in town | S$ 12$9.23 | NT$ 190$6.03 | Taipei โ35% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | S$ 9$6.92 | NT$ 115$3.65 | Taipei โ47% |
| Transitone ride | S$ 1.5$1.15 | NT$ 20$0.63 | Taipei โ45% |
| Scooter rentalper day | S$ 20$15.4 | NT$ 500$15.9 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | S$ 200$154 | NT$ 2,500$79.4 | Taipei โ48% |
| Studio rent (month) | S$ 3,300$2,538 | NT$ 22,000$698 | Taipei โ72% |
| Laundry | S$ 5$3.85 | NT$ 120$3.81 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | S$ 15$11.5 | NT$ 450$14.3 | Singapore โ19% |
| Haircutcut | S$ 20$15.4 | NT$ 300$9.52 | Taipei โ38% |
| Massage1 hour | S$ 60$46.2 | NT$ 1,000$31.7 | Taipei โ31% |
| Half-day tourper person | S$ 70$53.8 | NT$ 1,500$47.6 | Taipei โ12% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | S$ 40$30.8 | NT$ 350$11.1 | Taipei โ64% |
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 Taipei?
Taipei is 56% cheaper than Singapore. Daily budget $249 vs $134; a month $7,084 vs $2,435.
Which is easier to travel, Singapore or Taipei?
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Taipei 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Singapore and Taipei?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Singapore is about $7,084 and Taipei about $2,435 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.