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A financial planner has listed down a fairly comprehensive list of everyday or monthly items Singaporeans tend to spend on… but unwittingly exposes the high cost of living in a city like Singapore.
Read his post here.
“Here Is An Approx. Estimate Cost of Living in Singapore–
Food SGD USD
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district SGD $12 ($9)
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) SGD $8 ($5.80)
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast SGD $5.70 ($4.24)
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk SGD $3.29 ($2.44)
12 eggs, large SGD $4.17 ($3.09)
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes SGD $2.73 ($2.03)
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese SGD $12 ($9)
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples SGD $4.54 ($3.37)
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes SGD $3.06 ($2.27)
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket SGD $5.76 ($4.28)
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality SGD $35 ($26)
2 liters of Coca-Cola SGD $2.56 ($1.90)
Bread for 2 people for 1 day SGD $2.19 ($1.62)
Housing SGD USD
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area
SGD $3,871 ($2,876)
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area
SGD $2,770 ($2,058)
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas …) for 2 people in 85m2 flat
SGD $174 ($129)
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area
SGD $3,024 ($2,247)
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area
SGD $1,985 ($1,475)
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas …) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio
SGD $129 ($96)
Internet 8MB (1 month) SGD $49 ($36)
40” flat screen TV SGD $631 ($469)
Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands)
SGD $237 ($176)
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) SGD $10 ($8)
Hourly rate for cleaning help SGD $15 ($11)
Clothes SGD USD
1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) SGD $116 ($86)
1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) SGD $64
($47)
1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) SGD $132 ($98)
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes SGD $161 ($119)
Transportation SGD USD
Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 140 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new SGD $131,824
($97,938)
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas SGD $2.17 ($1.61)
Monthly ticket public transport SGD $91 ($67)
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) SGD $13 ($10)
Personal Care SGD USD
Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) SGD $9
($7)
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) SGD $31 ($23)
Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) SGD $49 ($37)
1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, …) SGD $11 ($8)
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) SGD $6 ($4.63)
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) SGD $8 ($5.93)
4 rolls of toilet paper SGD $2.69 ($2.00)
Tube of toothpaste SGD $4.34 ($3.23)
Standard men’s haircut in expat area of the city SGD $27 ($20)
Entertainment SGD USD
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub SGD $62 ($46)
2 tickets to the movies SGD $23 ($17)
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) SGD $274 ($204)
Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetizers, main course, wine and dessert SGD $168 ($125)
1 cocktail drink in downtown club SGD $21 ($16)
Cappuccino in expat area of the city SGD $6 ($4.78)
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) SGD $12 ($9)
iPod nano 16GB SGD $208 ($155)
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) SGD $0.17 ($0.13)
1 month of gym membership in business district SGD $141 ($105)”
Based on the reactions of many other netizens to his post, it seems an average Singaporean couple (childless) living a no-frills lifestyle can get by with at least $4,000 a month.
This brings up the question as to how do people living with less than this amount survive?
