, Singapore

Singapore still the costliest city for expats

Now for the fourth consecutive year.

Singapore maintained its position as the most expensive city for expats, according to a report from Economist Intelligence Unit.

Five of the ten most expensive cities are from Asia, with Hong Kong following Singapore on the list. Singapore has been ranked first for four years now. Despite this, it still offers relative value in some categories, especially compared with its regional peers, said EIU.

For instance, personal care, household goods, and domestic help make Singapore significantly cheaper than its peers. However, it is still the most expensive place in the world to buy and run a car, as well as the second-priciest destination to buy clothes.

Meanwhile, in terms of food and drink, the cost of living in Singapore is on a par with that of Shanghai in China. Seoul, Tokyo, and Osaka are the three most expensive places in the world to buy staple goods. In Seoul, topping up a grocery basket is almost 50% more expensive than in New York.

Check the table below to compare prices of commodities from the top ten most expensive cities. 

Join Singapore Business Review community
A NOTE FROM SINGAPORE BUSINESS REVIEW

The people you want to reach are already in this room.

Every quarter, SBR lands on the desks of the founders, CFOs, and directors running Asia's most consequential companies. Every day, they open our newsletter and read our website. It's a room that took twenty years to build — and it's the one most of our partners are trying to get into.

The good news is that the door is open. We work with companies on thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. The shape of the right partnership depends on what you're trying to do, which is why we'd rather start with a conversation than send a rate card.


If you have something this room should know about, tell us. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.

No rate cards until we understand the brief. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Top News

MAS fines doctor $120,000 for insider trading
The case involved purchases of Singapore Medical Group shares before its privatisation offer was announced.
Admiralty Walk EC site may draw up to four bids
Analysts expect developers to bid cautiously due to the site’s distance from the MRT station.

Exclusives

Singapore, Hong Kong take rival paths to capture global gold trade
One builds MAS-backed vaulting for central banks, the other opens a pipeline to Shanghai.
Monday.com picks Singapore for Southeast Asia expansion
Its in-house designers created Singapore-inspired artwork in the company's colors.
Tsuklio targets dual-income families in Singapore expansion
The Japanese meal subscription platform logged 3,000 pre-registrations before launch.