Cost of Living in Singapore for Indians
Here is an attempt to break down the cost of living in Singapore for Indians at the time of writing. Singapore strategically located in South East Asia is a land of opportunity. Singapore attracts companies from various disciplines to set up their offices and provide employment opportunities in Technology, Banking, Shipping, Skilled Labor to name a few. We tried listing out typical expenses for living in Singapore as an Indian and this may vary depending on individual/family needs (or) preferences. This should at least give an idea on costs across a spectrum of typical spendings a family would require to shell out while living in Singapore.
We will try and keep this up-to-date as much as possible. Please do write to us and provide feedback on the content. We can help those looking to move to Singapore with a good base information to make an informed decision.
Staying with family (2 kids)
Mandatory Expenses
| Item | Details | Estimated Cost per month (SGD) | Source / External references |
| Accommodation | HDB | Rentals between 3200 and 4000 for HDB | Source: HDB WebApp |
| Condo | Rentals between 4000 and 6000 | ||
| Groceries | Buying from Indian stores and also local supermarkets like NTUC Fairprice | 600 – 800 | Good reference: Singapore Groceries Price Estimates |
| Transportation | Travel to and from office, family travel, taxi’s once in a while | 300 | LTA Fare Table Average of 20km trip one way (costs: 1.96 as at 31-Mar-2023) to work. 2 trips a day x (22 working days + 10 additional trips on weekends for errands) |
| Utilities (Gas, Water, Electricity) | Depending on usage | 150 – 300 | Tarrif |
| Telecom, Internet and Entertainment | Bundled package from a local provider | 150 – 300 |
Kids Expenses
| Item | Details | Estimated Cost per month (SGD) | Source / External references |
| Schooling | Local School (PR) | Primary: ~250 Secondary: 350 – 500 Secondary (IP): 800 – 1000 Secondary (IP IB): 1000 – 1300 | |
| Misc (Camp, Trip Donations, etc,.) | 60 – 100 per kid | ||
| School Transportation (if used) – per kid | 100 – 140 per kid | ||
| Kids enrichment classes | Group average per class (20) per week for 4 weeks (considering enrolled for 2 to 3 classes like dance, music, swimming, soccer, chess, badminton, cricket, etc,.) (Individual private tutors costs approx. 50 per session per kid) | 80 – 100 | |
Miscellaneous Expenses
Item | Details | Estimated Cost per month (SGD) | Source / External references |
| Maintenance | Depending on individuals (Repair works, AC cleaning, Carpentry, Electrician etc,.) | 0 – 200 | |
| Shopping | Depending on individuals (Stationaries, School related shopping,) | 0 – 250 | |
| Dining Out | Once a month (for a family of 4 at dine in restaurants) Food Courts | 80 – 100 20 – 30 | |
| Travel/Vacation | Depending on individuals (per vacation within Asia) | 0 – 5000 (max) | |
| Movies | Indian movies per ticket cost is 18 approx (no offers considered for Indian movies) | 80 |
Staying as single
| Item | Item Additional Info | Estimated Cost ( in SGD) per month | Source / External references |
| Accommodation | Renting a master room or common room Condominium | Rentals between 800 – 1200 1200 – 2000 (depending on area) | |
| Groceries | Buying from Indian stores and also local supermarkets like NTUC Fairprice | 200 – 300 | Good reference: Singapore Groceries Price Estimates |
| Transportation | Travel to and from office, family travel, taxi’s once in a while | 100 – 150 | |
| Telecom, Internet and Entertainment | Mobile | 30 – 50 | |
| Shopping | Depending on individuals | 0 – 250 | |
| Dining Out | Eating Out mostly at Food Courts | 400 – 600 | |
| Travel/Vacation | Per trip cost for India Travel | 300 – 900 | |
| Movies | Indian movies per ticket cost is 18 approx (no offers considered for Indian movies) | 25 – 40 |