Cost of Living · SG vs NL
🇸🇬 Singapore vs 🇳🇱 Amsterdam: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,772 in Singapore vs $1,837 in Netherlands — 3.65% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Netherlands
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 1.16%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 1.16%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 1.17%
Closest to Singapore prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +4.15%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +4.15%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +4.15%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Singapore | Netherlands | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,236 | $1,287 (1,189 EUR) | +4.15% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $989 | $1,030 (951 EUR) | +4.15% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,260 | $2,354 (2,175 EUR) | +4.15% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.70 | $14.14 (13 EUR) | +3.21% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $57.06 | $58.92 (54 EUR) | +3.26% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $8.58 | $8.83 (8 EUR) | +2.91% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.90 | $0.92 (1 EUR) | +2.22% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.62 | $2.68 (2 EUR) | +2.29% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.79 | $2.85 (3 EUR) | +2.15% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.20 | $8.39 (8 EUR) | +2.32% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.28 | $3.36 (3 EUR) | +2.44% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.93 | $4.03 (4 EUR) | +2.54% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $9.84 | $10.07 (9 EUR) | +2.34% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.64 | $1.68 (2 EUR) | +2.44% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.57 | $4.71 (4 EUR) | +3.06% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.24 | $7.33 (7 EUR) | +1.24% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.80 | $3.93 (4 EUR) | +3.42% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.89 | $1.93 (2 EUR) | +2.12% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $50.70 | $52.20 (48 EUR) | +2.96% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.15 | $2.21 (2 EUR) | +2.79% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.04 | $3.14 (3 EUR) | +3.29% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.37 | $1.41 (1 EUR) | +2.92% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.86 | $0.87 (1 EUR) | +1.16% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $156 | $161 (148 EUR) | +2.95% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $54.60 | $56.21 (52 EUR) | +2.95% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $35.10 | $36.14 (33 EUR) | +2.96% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $38.04 | $39.28 (36 EUR) | +3.26% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $10.65 | $11.00 (10 EUR) | +3.29% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $22.83 | $23.57 (22 EUR) | +3.24% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $49.80 | $50.38 (47 EUR) | +1.16% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $81.49 | $82.44 (76 EUR) | +1.17% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $190 | $196 (181 EUR) | +3.25% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Netherlands than Singapore?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,837 in Netherlands versus $1,772 in Singapore — 3.65% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Netherlands?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $4.71 in Netherlands (≈ 4.35 EUR), versus about $4.57 in Singapore.
- How much is rent in Netherlands compared to Singapore?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,287/month in Netherlands versus $1,236/month in Singapore (+4.15%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.