Cost of Living · SG vs CH
🇸🇬 Singapore vs 🇨🇭 Zürich: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,781 in Singapore vs $3,285 in Switzerland — 85% more expensive.
- Essentials, Singapore
- $1,781/mo
- Essentials, Switzerland
- $3,285/mo
- Difference
- +85%
- 1-bed city rent, Switzerland
- $2,478/mo
Biggest differences
Smallest premium in Switzerland
- Running shoes (brand): +22%
- Jeans (mid-range brand): +22%
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: +22%
Pricier in Switzerland
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +99%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +99%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +99%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Singapore | Switzerland | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,243 | $2,478 (2,059 CHF) | +99% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $994 | $1,982 (1,647 CHF) | +99% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,272 | $4,531 (3,765 CHF) | +99% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.75 | $23.66 (20 CHF) | +72% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $57.31 | $98.57 (82 CHF) | +72% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $8.61 | $14.10 (12 CHF) | +64% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $0.90 | $1.34 (1 CHF) | +49% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.63 | $3.90 (3 CHF) | +48% |
| Eggs, dozen | $2.80 | $4.15 (3 CHF) | +48% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.22 | $12.20 (10 CHF) | +48% |
| White rice, 1kg | $3.29 | $4.88 (4 CHF) | +48% |
| Apples, 1kg | $3.95 | $5.86 (5 CHF) | +48% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $9.87 | $14.64 (12 CHF) | +48% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.64 | $2.44 (2 CHF) | +49% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.58 | $7.89 (7 CHF) | +72% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.25 | $8.84 (7 CHF) | +22% |
| Cappuccino | $3.82 | $6.57 (5 CHF) | +72% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.89 | $2.81 (2 CHF) | +49% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $50.90 | $83.33 (69 CHF) | +64% |
| Public transport, one-way | $2.15 | $3.53 (3 CHF) | +64% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.06 | $5.26 (4 CHF) | +72% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.38 | $2.37 (2 CHF) | +72% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.86 | $1.05 (1 CHF) | +22% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $157 | $256 (213 CHF) | +64% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $54.81 | $89.74 (75 CHF) | +64% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $35.24 | $57.69 (48 CHF) | +64% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $38.20 | $65.71 (55 CHF) | +72% |
| Cinema seat | $10.70 | $18.40 (15 CHF) | +72% |
| Men's haircut | $22.92 | $39.43 (33 CHF) | +72% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $49.87 | $60.75 (50 CHF) | +22% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $81.61 | $99.40 (83 CHF) | +22% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $191 | $329 (273 CHF) | +72% |
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 10,504 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $4,329 | $6,578 |
| Rent, 1-bed Monthly, USD. | — | $1,416 |
| Rent as % of a local wage Are locals priced out? | — | 21.5% |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $997 | $2,596 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 2.8 | 4.5 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Singapore and Zürich. | 0 | 66 |
| 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) | 1.9 (very low) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 11 | 4 + 17 regional |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 11.8 | 8.2 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 83.3 | 84.4 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 94.4% | 97.3% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 198.4 | 193.2 |
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Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Switzerland than Singapore?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $3,285 in Switzerland versus $1,781 in Singapore — 85% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Switzerland?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $7.89 in Switzerland (≈ 6.56 CHF), versus about $4.58 in Singapore.
- How much is rent in Switzerland compared to Singapore?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $2,478/month in Switzerland versus $1,243/month in Singapore (+99%). 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.