The Real Cost of Living in Singapore in 2025
Introduction
Singapore often tops the list of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. In many ways, that reputation is well deserved. Some costs are genuinely eye-watering, while others are surprisingly affordable. Either way, knowing what to expect is invaluable for your relocation plans. After almost eight years of living here, I’m sharing real numbers on groceries, ordering in and dining out, utilities, transportation, education, and lifestyle. This guide will help you understand where your budget may stretch and some areas in which you can save.
Housing in Singapore
Housing is the single biggest cost for most of us in Singapore. We won’t sugarcoat it, rents are HIGH. Rental prices vary by property type, size, and location. For a detailed breakdown of housing costs across central areas, see our earlier blog on rental prices in Singapore.
Utilities and Household Bills
Utilities are one of the more affordable categories in Singapore.
A 1-bedroom apartment is typically under S$100 per month.
A 2-bedroom condo averages around S$150–200 per month.
A 3-bedroom condo is closer to S$250 per month.
A large landed home with heavy air-conditioning use may reach S$500 or more per month
In Singapore, a unique requirement is that tenants must service all air-conditioning units every quarter. The cost is usually around S$20 per unit if you have more than five, and slightly more per unit in smaller spaces.
Internet plans average about S$50 per month, while mobile plans vary widely, from as low as S$10 to as high as S$300, depending on provider. There’s no reason to spend S$150 or more with Singtel, unless you really want to.
Grocery Costs
Singapore has no farmland, aside from a handful of small vertical farm start-ups. As a result, virtually all produce is imported, which makes fruit, vegetables, and meat expensive and less fresh than expats might be used to. Stores’ stocks and prices also fluctuate with frequent changes of the country of origin. Here are some examples below:
Driscoll raspberries can cost S$7 when imported from Yunnan, China, but S$15 when shipped from California or Mexico.
A box of strawberries or cherries can easily reach S$30 and even $148 for Lunar New Year (I’m not joking, that was the price tag!)
A whole kampong chicken from Malaysia is about S$12, while an organic chicken from Australia at Little Farms costs around S$35.
The two largest grocery chains are Cold Storage and FairPrice (a more budget-friendly option with a few FairPrice Finest stores around the island). My monthly grocery spend for two adults averages S$971 (I just did the math), shopping at Cold Storage, Little Farms, and FairPrice, with the occasional RedMart delivery. When I lived alone, I spent around S$500 a month, while eating out even more regularly.
F&B in Singapore
Eating out is part of daily life, especially since most condos have fairly compact kitchens! Costs vary widely.
Hawker centres: dishes typically start at S$6-10. Iconic dishes like chicken rice can be found for about S$10, BBQ sambal stingray S$20 per portion, yet chilli crab still costs around S$120 per crab, even sitting at plastic tables in the open air.
Food courts: found in the basement of nearly every mall (even the fancy ones on Orchard Road), offer similarly affordable options.
Casual restaurants: think PS Cafe, Papi’s Tacos, or Merci Marcel, range from S$40 to S$80 per person.
Upmarket restaurants: options are aplenty, a nice meal out tends to run us S$500-$600 for two with a bottle of wine.
Michelin-starred restaurants: offer set menus that cost about S$500-$750 per person and much more when alcohol or a wine pairing is added in.
Takeaway and delivery apps like Deliveroo are very popular. A pad thai or pad see ew from my favourite local Thai place costs S$10 and is generous enough to cover dinner and lunch the next day.
Transportation Costs
Public transit is clean, efficient, and affordable.
MRT and bus trips cost about S$1 each. Most people spend under S$50 per month.
Grab or taxi rides are usually S$10–30, with surge pricing having a bigger impact than distance.
Cars are a major expense, often S$2,000 or more per month once COE and insurance are included (discussed in the last blog). Despite the cost, many expats and Singaporeans still choose to drive.
Lifestyle, Fitness, and Entertainment
Gym memberships and boutique fitness studios usually cost S$200–300 per month. Otherwise, most condos have facilities that include gyms, pools, and often tennis courts for residents to use. For free options, Singapore’s parks and outdoor gyms are widely used.
Alcohol is pricey in Singapore; we pay a sin tax if we choose to indulge. A glass of wine is S$25–30 at a restaurant, and the same is true for cocktails. Bottles start around S$60 in grocery stores or a wine shop like Wine Connection, and can reach S$150 or much more in restaurants (depending on your tastes, of course).
Concert tickets sell out instantly, and resale prices can be extreme, often S$500 for nose-bleed seats and thousands for top performers, ahem, Taylor Swift.
Travel around Southeast Asia is an affordable luxury. Weekend trips to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phuket, or Bali on Scoot or AirAsia are often cheaper than a big night out in Singapore with drinks.
Education Costs
For families with children, education is one of the largest expenses...
Top international schools cost around S$60,000 per child each year, plus fees (younger age groups have slightly lower tuition).
Preschools and nurseries range from S$20,000 to S$35,000 annually.
Live-In Helper Costs
One of the unique aspects of life in Singapore is the option to employ a full-time, live-in domestic helper. For around S$750 per month, families can have childcare, house cleaning, and cooking covered. This is considered a luxury in most parts of the world, but is very common and accessible here.
Conclusion
Living in Singapore is expensive, and in many areas unapologetically so. Housing, education, alcohol, imported foods, and cars will push budgets higher than most expats expect. On the other hand, public transport, live-in help, utilities, hawker dining, and even regional getaways can feel surprisingly affordable. It also helps to keep in mind that Singapore’s low-tax environment offsets some of the non-negotiable larger expenses.
We’re sharing this information because knowing what to expect allows you to plan realistically and avoid surprises. At Red Dot Relocation, we guide families and professionals through arrival and adjustment so you can settle smoothly into one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
