Short answer: the cost of living in Singapore for a household that moves here depends mostly on rent and schooling. Official figures put the median rent of a 4-room HDB flat at S$3,000 to S$4,600 a month depending on town (Q2 2026), MOE school fees for a non-ASEAN international student at S$1,035 a month in primary and S$2,190 in secondary, the Adult Monthly Travel Pass at S$122, and the helper levy at S$300 a month. SingStat's latest survey puts average spending by resident households at S$5,931 a month, but that average leaves out rent for the 87.9% of households who own their home.
The calculator fills in those official figures for you and leaves everything that varies by household (food, utilities, insurance, an international school quote) as your own entries, so the total is a budget you can defend. Figures checked 3 Oct 2026 against HDB, MOE, MOM, PTC, MOT and SingStat.
Singapore Monthly Budget Calculator
Official figures fill in rent medians, MOE school fees, the adult monthly travel pass and the helper levy. You add the rest.
Key Takeaways
- Rent is the swing item: HDB's Q2 2026 medians for a 4-room flat run from S$3,000 to S$4,600 a month by town; condo rents depend on the project and size.
- MOE school fees in 2026: PRs pay S$330 a month in primary and S$680 in secondary; international students pay S$595 and S$1,090 (ASEAN) or S$1,035 and S$2,190 (non-ASEAN), plus a miscellaneous fee.
- The Adult Monthly Travel Pass costs S$122, and while PTC is raising adult card fares by 12 to 13 cents a journey from 26 December 2026, it kept pass prices unchanged.
- A live-in helper costs a monthly levy of S$300, S$450 for each further helper, or S$60 at the concessionary rate, plus salary and upkeep.
- Leaving out the imputed rent of owner-occupiers, SingStat's Household Expenditure Survey 2023 puts average monthly spending at S$5,931, or S$9,567 for households in condos.
What Singapore Households Spend: The Official Benchmark
The Department of Statistics' Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2023, published on 28 November 2024, is the most recent official picture of household spending. It covers resident households, meaning households headed by a citizen or PR, and most of them own their homes, which matters when you read the housing line.
| Category (HES 2023) | Average a month | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Food and food serving services | S$1,422 | S$456 groceries and S$966 at restaurants, hawker centres and food courts |
| Housing and related | S$2,122 | Includes S$1,188 of imputed rent for owner-occupied homes |
| Transport | S$951 | |
| Insurance and financial services | S$590 | |
| Health | S$474 | |
| Education | S$404 | |
| Recreation, sport and culture | S$335 | |
| Information and communication | S$270 | |
| Clothing and footwear | S$120 | |
| Accommodation services and others | S$432 | Hotels, personal care, alcohol and tobacco |
| Total excluding imputed rent | S$5,931 | S$7,119 including imputed rent |
Spending by Type of Home
The same survey splits the total by dwelling: S$4,657 a month for households in HDB flats, S$9,567 in condominiums and other apartments, and S$13,545 in landed homes, all excluding imputed rent. A household that rents instead of owning has to add its rent on top of a figure like these, which is why the calculator starts from rent rather than from an average.
Housing: The Number That Decides the Budget
HDB publishes the median rent for every town and flat type each quarter, and URA publishes median rents per square foot for the larger condo projects. The calculator uses HDB's medians directly; for a condo, enter the rent you are quoted and check it against URA's figures in our rental market rent check.
- Private homes cannot be let for under three consecutive months (URA), so the first weeks are often a serviced apartment. The serviced apartment vs condo analyzer finds the break-even month.
- A lease attracts stamp duty of 0.4% of the total rent for leases of up to four years (IRAS).
- If your employer pays the rent, IRAS taxes it as income. The housing allowance tax calculator shows the extra tax.
School Fees for Children Who Are Not Citizens
MOE sets monthly school fees by citizenship. Its schedule for 2024 to 2026, announced in October 2023, gives these 2026 figures for government and government-aided schools:
| Child's status | Primary | Secondary | Pre-university |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore PR | S$330 | S$680 | S$760 |
| International student (ASEAN) | S$595 | S$1,090 | S$1,290 |
| International student (non-ASEAN) | S$1,035 | S$2,190 | S$2,540 |
A miscellaneous fee of S$13 a month in primary and S$20 in secondary applies to every student; MOE says fees for international students include GST, so they pay S$14.17 and S$21.80. Independent schools charge their own fees. An international school is a different budget line entirely, so the calculator takes its yearly fee as your entry. Our school fees calculator breaks the MOE bill down further.
Transport and a Domestic Helper
Transport
The Adult Monthly Travel Pass costs S$122, the price the Ministry of Transport used in a 2026 parliamentary reply. The Public Transport Council's Fare Review Exercise 2026, announced on 29 September 2026, raises adult card fares by 12 cents for journeys up to 3.2 km and 13 cents for longer ones from 26 December 2026, and keeps every monthly pass at its current price. The pass is worth buying when a person's card fares would pass S$122 in a month.
Migrant Domestic Worker Levy
| MOM levy type | Monthly | Daily (part month) |
|---|---|---|
| Normal, first helper | S$300 | S$9.87 |
| Normal, each further helper | S$450 | S$14.80 |
| Concessionary | S$60 | S$1.98 |
MOM grants the concessionary rate to households with a young child, an elderly member or a person with disability who meets its criteria, and those criteria mostly turn on someone in the family being a Singapore citizen, so most newly arrived pass-holder families pay the normal rate. Check MOM's levy concession page before you budget on S$60. Salary, food, insurance and the helper's other costs come on top and are yours to enter.
What Is Changing
- 26 December 2026: adult bus and train card fares rise by 12 to 13 cents a journey; monthly passes stay at today's prices (PTC).
- School fees after 2026: MOE's published schedule for non-citizens runs to 2026. Expect a new schedule for later years and check MOE's fees checker before the school year starts.
- Rents: URA's 3rd Quarter 2026 rental figures are due on 23 October 2026, and HDB updates its medians each quarter.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Cost of Living in Singapore
How much does it cost to live in Singapore per month?
It depends on rent and schooling more than anything else. Resident households spent S$5,931 a month on average in 2023 excluding imputed rent (S$9,567 for households in condos), but a household that rents must add rent on top. Use the calculator with your own rent and school choice.
How much is rent for an HDB flat?
HDB's Q2 2026 medians for a 4-room flat range from S$3,000 to S$4,600 a month depending on the town. The calculator and our rental market rent check show the figure for each town and flat type.
How much are school fees for a foreign child in a government school?
In 2026, S$1,035 a month in primary and S$2,190 in secondary for a non-ASEAN international student, or S$595 and S$1,090 for an ASEAN student, plus a miscellaneous fee, while PR children pay S$330 and S$680.
How much is the helper levy?
S$300 a month for the first helper, S$450 for each further helper, or S$60 at the concessionary rate if your household qualifies under MOM's criteria.
Is a monthly travel pass worth it?
The Adult Monthly Travel Pass costs S$122 and pays off when your card fares would add up to more than that in a month, which usually means a long daily commute plus weekend trips.
Why does the calculator not fill in food or utilities?
There is no official per-household figure that fits a household arriving from abroad. SingStat's survey averages are shown for comparison, but your own estimates will be closer to what you will spend.
Official Sources and References
- Report on the Household Expenditure Survey 2023 (SingStat)
- Median rent by town and flat type (HDB, data.gov.sg)
- Revised school fees for non-citizens, 2024 to 2026 (MOE)
- School fees and fees checker (MOE)
- Paying levy for a migrant domestic worker (MOM)
- Outcome of Fare Review Exercise 2026 (PTC)
- Adult Monthly Travel Pass, parliamentary reply (MOT)
Explore Catalyst Immigration’s other services:
- Cost of Living in Singapore for PRs
- Rental Market Pulse Index
- School Fees Calculator for Expats
- Housing Allowance Tax Calculator
- Dependant's Pass Singapore Guide
Talk to Catalyst Immigration
A realistic budget is part of planning a move, and so is knowing which passes your family will hold and when. Catalyst Immigration handles Employment Passes, Dependant's Passes, Long-Term Visit Passes and PR applications, and can map out the timing with you before you sign a lease or enrol a child. MOM and ICA decide every application; we help you plan around them.