How Much Do Expats Need To Earn To Live Comfortably In Singapore (2024)

Modern, clean, safe, and efficient Singapore is a dream to live in. But it is also notoriously expensive to live in Singapore - as both people on the street and international surveys can attest to.

And not all expats come to Singapore on generous expat packages which include allowances for international school fees, home rental in prime locations, and entertainment budgets.

Some expats choose to relocate to Singapore for many reasons, entirely on their own budget. Some want to pursue new career goals, or broaden business opportunities. Others are drawn to a high standard of living in Singapore, or just to experience life in a different country or city.

As the Most Expensive City in the world today, is a comfortable life Singapore out of reach for regular expats who don’t benefit from munificent expat packages?

The answer depends very much on what you define as “comfortable” in Singapore, and what you prioritise your spending on.

Is it weekly Michelin-starred meals all weekend, monthly holidays, driving a luxury car, and a gorgeous seaside villa on Sentosa?

Is it delicious meals at the neighbourhood hawker centre, picnics and barbeques at the weekend at the beach, enjoying the top-class local government school system, and staying in one of our well-connected government planned new towns?

So to answer the question on your own terms, we’ve broken down the costs of living in Singapore according to various categories, itemised along lifestyle choices and preferences for your convenient planning.

Overview of expats in Singapore (2024)

According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, there are approximately 1.7 million expatriates (or non-residents) in Singapore as of 2023. This was an increase of almost 200,000 from the year before.

Expats who work in Singapore come from many countries, with the largest groups coming from India, China, Malaysia, the US, the UK, and Australia, working primarily in the IT, finance, business, hospitality, engineering, and education sectors.

Median income of expats in Singapore (2024)

You may have seen reports that the pay and benefits packages for average expat middle managers in Singapore rose to S$342,218 in 2023, according to a global survey conducted by ECA International, the world's leading provider of knowledge, information, and software for the management and assignment of employees around the world.

This seems high, but such packages are often generous and include the base salary, tax, and benefits which usually include accommodation, utilities, and a car.

Median incomes for expats here on their own expense are more similar to Singapore resident salaries, and are highly dependent on the industry and level of experience.

The median monthly income of Singapore residents was S$10,863 in 2023. This works out to approximately S$130,356 annually, with bonuses and other benefits not included yet. In Singapore, most companies offer a 13th month bonus, as well as various performance bonuses, so you will need to add those into your total annual salary for a fuller picture.

Here is the monthly median income of residents in some of the most popular expat industries at middle manager positions in 2024:

• Information Technology: S$7,300

• Finance: S$8,200

• Education: S$6,800

• Healthcare: S$6,200 (nurses) / S$7100 (GP doctors)

• Hospitality: S$5,000

Costs of living in Singapore (2024)

Knowing how much you might spend on each of these would help you decide if you’re earning enough to live comfortably in Singapore. We’ve provided different ranges for each category so that you can do your own calculations.

Please note that all costs provided here are average estimates gathered from many sources across the web, as well as personal experiences of locals and expats who live in Singapore–so do expect some variation in range as well when doing your budgeting.

1. Housing

Your preferred neighbourhood and the type of house you want to live in plays a big role in determining how much you should earn, to live comfortably here in Singapore.

Whether you decide to rent a government-built HDB flat in a new town neighbourhood away from Singapore’s city centre, or a sprawling landed home near the historic civic district makes a huge difference in rental costs. We break it down for you here.

2. Transport

In Singapore, you may own a vehicle as an expat. However, it does not come cheap. In order to purchase a car, you must first purchase a Certificate of Entitlement (COE). which costs anywhere between S$50,000 to S$150,000–depending on prevailing market rates for the month.

These are the prices of brand new cars which include a 10-year COE.

3. Food

4. Education

5. Healthcare

6. Entertainment

We’ve added in some of the more common things you’d do in Singapore to get some much-needed R&R, including travel, fitness, and movies. Getting a country club membership will also allow you to golf, swim, and bowl.

There are lots of free things to do in Singapore for leisure though–most of our public parks are free, and museums can be visited at low costs.

7. Taxes

All income earned while you live in Singapore is taxable.

Tax rates for non-residents are 15% or the current progressive resident tax rate (whichever is the higher amount), for income earned from employment remuneration.

Average cost of living in Singapore for expats (2024)

Numbeo and the Economic Development Board of Singapore estimates the current cost of living for a family of four, with two school-going children, to be at approximately S$9,000 a month.

If you’re moving here alone, this figure is a lot lower, probably closer to S$6,000 per month

Salary needed to live comfortably in Singapore (2024)

It’s been said countless times before: how much you need to earn to live comfortably in Singapore depends very much on what kind of lifestyle you want to lead.

So, if your idea of “comfortable” means a flat in a local heartland with plenty of amenities, eating delicious hawker fare and home-cooked meals using local produce, visiting public parks and museums on the weekends and splurging on family meals at mid-priced restaurants once every week or fortnight, a monthly salary of S$7,000 would be more than enough.

However, if you enjoy the finer things in life, preferring to decompress in a sprawling landed home, drinking champagne and playing golf on the weekends, collecting luxury accessories, and jetting off for quick getaways around the region every month or so, no amount is probably ever enough. In all seriousness, you’d probably need to earn at least around S$15,000 to S$20,000 a month to live it up here in Singapore in the way you’d like to.