Cost of living in Singapore: how it really compares with London and the UK average

Singapore is cheaper than London for getting about and for a quick lunch, and far dearer for cars, booze, private healthcare and international schools; rent sits somewhere in between, depending on what you live in.

The short version

• Rent is the swing factor. A four-room HDB flat (roughly three bedrooms) had a median rent of S$3,400 to S$4,150 a month in early 2026 in popular towns (about £1,980 to £2,410), against a London average of £2,338 and a UK average of £1,406 for all private rents [1][2].
• Public transport is cheap: an adult card fare runs from S$1.28 to S$2.57 a journey (about 74p to £1.49), and a monthly pass is S$122 (about £71) [3].
• Owning a car is eye-wateringly expensive. The right to own a small car for 10 years, the COE, cost S$139,001 (about £80,700) in the first November 2026 bidding round, before you've bought the car [4].
• Healthcare isn't subsidised for foreigners. Turning up at the A&E at Singapore General Hospital costs S$172.90 (about £100) before any extras [5].
• There's 9% GST on most things, but income tax is lower than in the UK for most earners.

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = SGD 1.7214). Figures are rounded.

Singapore vs London vs the UK: the headline numbers

The ONS rent figures are averages for all private rents in September 2026, published on 21 October 2026, across every size of home [1]. The Singapore figures are HDB's own medians for approved applications to rent out whole flats in the first quarter of 2026, rounded to the nearest S$10 [2].

Housing: HDB flat or condo

Most Singaporeans live in HDB flats, the government-built blocks that cover the island. Foreigners can rent a whole HDB flat, and plenty of Brits do, especially families who want more space for the money. They're named by room count, so a "4-room" flat is usually three bedrooms plus a living room.

Within HDB, the bigger and more central the flat, the higher the rent: in the first quarter of 2026, median rents for a 5-room flat ran from S$3,300 in Punggol and Sengkang (about £1,920) to S$4,400 in Queenstown (about £2,560) [2]. Towns in the north and east, such as Woodlands, Yishun and Punggol, are the cheapest; Queenstown, Bukit Merah, Toa Payoh and the Central Area the dearest.

Condos, the private blocks with a pool, gym and security guard, cost more, and prices climb the closer you get to Orchard, River Valley, Tanglin and the city centre. We haven't found an official median condo rent to quote, so take HDB rents as the floor and expect a condo of the same size in a central district to cost noticeably more. Expat packages often assume a condo, which is where the budget goes.

Leases usually run for a year or two, with a deposit of a month or two's rent and stamp duty on the tenancy agreement. Our guide to renting in Singapore covers the paperwork and the diplomatic clause worth asking for.

Bills

Electricity, water and gas come on one bill from SP Group. From 1 October to 31 December 2026, electricity costs 31.16 cents per kWh including GST (about 18p), gas 23.38 cents per kWh (about 14p) and water S$1.56 per cubic metre for the first 40 m³ (about 91p) [6]. The tariff is reviewed every quarter. The catch is the air conditioning: it's 30°C most days of the year, so the bill in a flat with the aircon running all night will look nothing like a mild British winter. You can also buy electricity from a retailer on the Open Electricity Market instead.

There's no council tax for tenants (property tax is the owner's bill) and no TV licence.

The weekly shop and eating out

This is where Singapore can be cheaper than home, or much dearer, depending on how you eat.

Hawker centres are the great leveller. A plate of chicken rice, a bowl of laksa or a carrot cake at a hawker stall costs a fraction of a London meal deal, never mind a Pret lunch. Many British families eat out at hawker centres several times a week, because it's often cheaper than cooking.

Supermarkets range from budget local chains to upmarket expat-friendly ones, and between them they stock most things, and you'll find PG Tips and Marmite with a bit of hunting. Local fruit, veg, rice and noodles are good value. Imported Western goods cost more than at Tesco: cheese, cereal, British biscuits, wine and anything from the chiller with a Union Jack on it.

Restaurants and bars in the CBD, Orchard and Dempsey Hill charge London prices or more. Alcohol is heavily taxed, so a pint in a bar is steep by UK standards, and happy hours are a way of life. See nightlife in Singapore for where the deals are.

Getting around

Public transport

The MRT and buses are clean, air-conditioned and cheap. You tap in and out with a card or a contactless bank card, and the fare depends on distance. Adult card fares, in force since 27 December 2025, run from S$1.28 for up to 3.2 km to S$2.57 for journeys over 40.2 km (about 74p to £1.49), and the adult monthly travel pass for unlimited basic bus and train rides costs S$122 (about £71) [3]. The Public Transport Council has announced a further rise of up to 13 cents per adult card journey from 26 December 2026 [7].

Fares from 27 December 2025, before the rise due on 26 December 2026 [3][7].

Cars

Most Brits don't bother with a car, and the numbers explain why. Before you can register a car you need a Certificate of Entitlement, bid for twice a month. In the first November 2026 round, a Category A COE (smaller cars) cleared at S$139,001 and a Category B COE (bigger or more powerful cars) at S$132,334 (about £80,700 and £76,900) [4]. That buys you the right to own the car for 10 years. On top come the car itself, registration fees and taxes, insurance, road tax, parking and road pricing. Our guide on why most Brits don't drive in Singapore has the full picture.

Taxis and ride-hailing apps are the usual way to fill the gaps, and they cost less than a London black cab.

Healthcare and insurance

There's no NHS here, and foreigners don't get Singapore's healthcare subsidies. The Ministry of Health says subsidies at public healthcare institutions are generally for citizens and permanent residents [8]. At Singapore General Hospital in October 2026, a non-resident paid S$288.78 for a first appointment with a senior consultant (about £168) and S$172.90 for an A&E attendance (about £100), before scans, tests or admission [5].

So health insurance is part of the cost of living, not an extra. Check what your employer's policy covers for your partner and children before you sign. Our guide to healthcare and health insurance in Singapore explains how it works.

Schools: the cost that catches families out

Most British children in Singapore go to international schools, and the fees can rival the rent. Local government schools do take international students, but places are limited and fees for foreigners are higher than for citizens. If you're moving with children, get school fees into your package. Our guide to schools in Singapore covers the British and international options.

Tax, pensions and the UK end

Singapore's income tax is lower than the UK's for most earners, which offsets a lot. But leaving Blighty doesn't automatically end your UK tax ties, and UK rent or pension income can still be taxable at home. Our guide to Singapore taxes for Brits explains the link.

If you retire here, remember that the UK State Pension only goes up each year if you live in the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland or a country with a social security agreement with the UK [9]. Singapore isn't one of them, so your State Pension is frozen at the rate you get when you arrive, or when you first claim it if you're already here. The UK State Pension abroad explains how it works.

Making the numbers work

1. Get the package in writing. Housing, school fees, family health cover and a flight home can be worth more than the headline salary.
2. Price an HDB flat as well as a condo. You give up the pool, but you can save a lot.
3. Skip the car unless you really need one. A monthly pass and the odd taxi go a long way.
4. Eat like a local. Hawker centres for lunch keep the grocery bill down.
5. Keep a UK safety net. A UK bank account and a sensible way to move money home save a lot of faff later. See sending money between the UK and abroad.

For the cheapest place to buy proper bacon or the best-value happy hour near you, ask in our community group for Brits in Singapore.

Sources

1. ONS: Private rent and house prices, UK: October 2026 (21 October 2026)
2. HDB: Median rent by town and flat type, 1st quarter 2026 (Annex D)
3. Public Transport Council: Public transport fares and passes (fares from 27 December 2025; read 11 November 2026)
4. LTA OneMotoring: COE open bidding, November 2026 1st exercise results (ended 4 November 2026)
5. Singapore General Hospital: Outpatient charges (updated 1 October 2026)
6. SP Group: Tariff information (1 October to 31 December 2026)
7. Malay Mail: Singapore transport fares to rise from 26 December (30 September 2026)
8. Ministry of Health: Healthcare subsidies and insurance for foreign spouses (8 April 2025)
9. GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad, rates

Keep reading

• Renting in Singapore
• Healthcare and health insurance in Singapore
• Why most Brits don't drive in Singapore: COE, MRT and Grab
• The UK State Pension abroad: frozen or uprated