Cost of Living · SG vs NZ
🇸🇬 Singapore vs 🇳🇿 Auckland: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,781 in Singapore vs $2,083 in New Zealand — 17% more expensive.
- Essentials, Singapore
- $1,781/mo
- Essentials, New Zealand
- $2,083/mo
- Difference
- +17%
- 1-bed city rent, New Zealand
- $1,484/mo
Biggest differences
Smallest premium in New Zealand
- Jeans (mid-range brand): +5.2%
- Running shoes (brand): +5.2%
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: +5.2%
Pricier in New Zealand
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +19%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +19%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +19%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Singapore | New Zealand | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,243 | $1,484 (2,553 NZD) | +19% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $994 | $1,187 (2,042 NZD) | +19% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,272 | $2,714 (4,668 NZD) | +19% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.75 | $15.81 (27 NZD) | +15% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $57.31 | $65.90 (113 NZD) | +15% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $8.61 | $9.78 (17 NZD) | +14% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $0.90 | $1.00 (2 NZD) | +11% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.63 | $2.91 (5 NZD) | +11% |
| Eggs, dozen | $2.80 | $3.09 (5 NZD) | +10% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.22 | $9.10 (16 NZD) | +11% |
| White rice, 1kg | $3.29 | $3.64 (6 NZD) | +11% |
| Apples, 1kg | $3.95 | $4.37 (8 NZD) | +11% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $9.87 | $10.92 (19 NZD) | +11% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.64 | $1.82 (3 NZD) | +11% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.58 | $5.27 (9 NZD) | +15% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.25 | $7.63 (13 NZD) | +5.2% |
| Cappuccino | $3.82 | $4.39 (8 NZD) | +15% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.89 | $2.09 (4 NZD) | +11% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $50.90 | $57.79 (99 NZD) | +14% |
| Public transport, one-way | $2.15 | $2.44 (4 NZD) | +13% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.06 | $3.51 (6 NZD) | +15% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.38 | $1.58 (3 NZD) | +14% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.86 | $0.91 (2 NZD) | +5.8% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $157 | $178 (306 NZD) | +14% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $54.81 | $62.23 (107 NZD) | +14% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $35.24 | $40.01 (69 NZD) | +14% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $38.20 | $43.93 (76 NZD) | +15% |
| Cinema seat | $10.70 | $12.30 (21 NZD) | +15% |
| Men's haircut | $22.92 | $26.36 (45 NZD) | +15% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $49.87 | $52.47 (90 NZD) | +5.2% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $81.61 | $85.86 (148 NZD) | +5.2% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $191 | $220 (378 NZD) | +15% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Beyond prices
What each place pays, charges and offers — wages, rent, healthcare, climate, risk and time off. Figures come from the same engines behind the individual tools, so they match what those pages say. They sit about 8,408 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $4,329 | $2,668 |
| Rent, modelled 1-bed Monthly, USD. | — | $1,424 |
| Rent as % of a local wage Are locals priced out? | — | 53.4% |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $997 | $637 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 2.8 | 3.6 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Singapore and Auckland. | 0 | 118 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | very strong | very strong |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 0.7 (very low) | 1.6 (very low) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 11 | 11 + 12 regional |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 11.8 | 5.9 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 83.3 | 82 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 0.1 | 1.5 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 94.4% | 93.5% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 198.4 | 222.5 |
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Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is New Zealand than Singapore?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,083 in New Zealand versus $1,781 in Singapore — 17% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in New Zealand?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $5.27 in New Zealand (≈ 9.06 NZD), versus about $4.58 in Singapore.
- How much is rent in New Zealand compared to Singapore?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,484/month in New Zealand versus $1,243/month in Singapore (+19%). 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.