# Living in Singapore, Singapore

> Open, sourced figures for Singapore: take-home pay, monthly costs, who may live there, climate, air, safety and health. Figures as of 2026-11-05. Canonical page: https://borgo.abcastor.com/city/singapore-sg/

## Key facts

- Singapore has about 5,638,700 residents (GeoNames).
- On a gross salary of SGD 86,000 a year, an employee in Singapore takes home about SGD 66,304 a year (SGD 5,525 a month) after income tax and employee contributions, an effective rate of 22.9% (Singapore 2026 rules).
- In Singapore the average daily high (air temperature in the shade) peaks at 30.4 °C in May and the average daily low falls to 24.0 °C in January (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), Open-Meteo, 2021-2025).
- Singapore has about 0 nice days a year, days that are dry, mostly clear and feel 18 to 30 °C on average from 8 am to 8 pm, most of them in January (0) (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), Open-Meteo, 2021-2025).
- Between 2021 and 2025 the air in Singapore reached 35.2 °C at its hottest and 22.3 °C at its coldest (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), Open-Meteo).
- It rains or snows (at least 1 mm) on about 282 days a year in Singapore (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), Open-Meteo, 2021-2025).
- The shortest day in Singapore lasts 12 h 03 min and the longest 12 h 12 min (computed from latitude).
- Fine dust (PM2.5) in Singapore averages 12.0 µg/m³ a year, 2.4 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ (WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), World Health Organization, 2021).
- Everyday prices in Singapore sit at 78.3 on an index where the United States is 100 (World Development Indicators, World Bank, 2025).
- Life expectancy at birth in Singapore is 83.3 years (World Development Indicators, World Bank, 2024).
- Singapore records 0.07 intentional homicides per 100,000 people a year (World Development Indicators, World Bank, 2023).
- Only citizens of Singapore can live and work in Singapore without a visa or permit; everyone else needs one.

## Take-home pay (Singapore, 2026 rules)

| Gross a year | Take-home a year | A month | Effective rate |
|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| SGD 43,000 | SGD 34,081 | SGD 2,840 | 20.7% |
| SGD 86,000 | SGD 66,304 | SGD 5,525 | 22.9% |
| SGD 140,000 | SGD 112,873 | SGD 9,406 | 19.4% |

Tax resident employee under 55, income earned in 2026 (YA 2027): resident rates, earned income relief, and employee CPF with CPF relief for citizens and PRs. Sources: [IRAS: individual income tax rates](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/individual-income-tax-rates), [IRAS: earned income relief](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-reliefs-rebates-and-deductions/tax-reliefs/earned-income-relief), [IRAS: CPF relief for employees (ordinary wage ceiling)](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-reliefs-rebates-and-deductions/tax-reliefs/central-provident-fund(cpf)-relief-for-employees), [CPF Board: contribution rates from 1 January 2026](https://www.cpf.gov.sg/employer/employer-obligations/how-much-cpf-contributions-to-pay), [IRAS: personal income tax rebate (YA 2024 and 2025 only)](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-reliefs-rebates-and-deductions/tax-reliefs/personal-income-tax-rebate).

## A month on the reference profile

Assumed: one person, €60,000 gross a year, a one-bedroom home, everyday spending of €1,200 a month in Lisbon scaled by each country's price level.

- Take-home pay: SGD 5,523
- Rent: not known (no open rent data yet)
- Everyday spending: SGD 2,074
- Health care, out of pocket: SGD 106
- Left each month: not known

## Who can live and work here without a visa

- Citizens of Singapore

## Climate (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), 2021-2025)

| Month | High °C (air) | Low °C (air) | Lowest °C | Highest °C | Nice days | Wet days | Daylight |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| Jan | 28.7 | 24.0 | 22.3 | 33.0 | 0 | 23.8 | 12 h 03 min |
| Feb | 30.1 | 24.4 | 22.8 | 33.3 | 0 | 18.2 | 12 h 04 min |
| Mar | 30.0 | 24.9 | 22.4 | 34.1 | 0 | 23.4 | 12 h 06 min |
| Apr | 30.0 | 25.2 | 23.2 | 32.8 | 0 | 27.0 | 12 h 09 min |
| May | 30.4 | 26.1 | 23.3 | 35.2 | 0 | 24.0 | 12 h 11 min |
| Jun | 29.8 | 25.9 | 24.1 | 33.4 | 0 | 22.8 | 12 h 12 min |
| Jul | 30.1 | 26.1 | 23.8 | 33.4 | 0 | 20.6 | 12 h 11 min |
| Aug | 29.5 | 25.5 | 22.7 | 33.0 | 0 | 24.8 | 12 h 09 min |
| Sep | 29.7 | 25.6 | 23.2 | 33.1 | 0 | 22.0 | 12 h 07 min |
| Oct | 30.1 | 25.2 | 23.1 | 33.8 | 0 | 23.0 | 12 h 05 min |
| Nov | 29.6 | 24.6 | 23.5 | 33.8 | 0 | 26.0 | 12 h 03 min |
| Dec | 29.3 | 24.4 | 23.1 | 33.2 | 0 | 26.6 | 12 h 03 min |

Nice days: dry, mostly clear and feeling 18 to 30 °C on average from 8 am to 8 pm. Lowest and highest: the extremes of 2021-2025.

## Every figure

| Figure | Value | Period | Level | Source | Licence |
|---|---:|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-pocket health spending | US$997 a year per person | 2023 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Paid holiday by law | 7 working days a year | 2026 | Singapore-wide | [Paid holiday by law, from the labour codes cited](https://github.com/ABCastor/borgo/blob/main/src/fetch/family.ts) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Public holidays on working days | 10 days a year | 2026 | Singapore-wide | [Nager.Date public holidays](https://date.nager.at/) | MIT |
| Price level | 78.3 index, US = 100 | 2025 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Wet days | 282 days a year | 2021-2025 | city | [Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis)](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Sunshine | 2,074 hours a year | 1991-2020 | city | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/wmo-climate-normals) | No licence attached; NCEI public access, citation requested (WMO Unified Data Policy) |
| Fine dust (PM2.5) | 12.0 µg/m³ | 2021 | city | [WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026)](https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/air-pollution/who-air-quality-database) | WHO terms for data compilations (public-health use, unaltered values; not CC BY) |
| Homicides | 0.07 per 100,000 | 2023 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Life expectancy | 83.3 years | 2024 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Research output | 1,064 works per 100k residents | 2025 | city | [OpenAlex institutions](https://openalex.org/) | CC0-1.0 |
| Research output per resident | 41 of 100 | 2025 | city | [OpenAlex institutions](https://openalex.org/) | CC0-1.0 |
| Universities and colleges | 118 organisations | 2026-10-27 | city | [Research Organization Registry](https://ror.org/) | CC0-1.0 |
| Research institutes | 132 organisations | 2026-10-27 | city | [Research Organization Registry](https://ror.org/) | CC0-1.0 |
| Founders Running Club | a chapter | 2026-10-27 | city | [Founders Running Club communities](https://foundersrc.com/communities) | Public listing (facts of presence only; no licence stated) |
| Coworking spaces | 23 within 10 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Climbing gyms | 23 within 10 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Public swimming pools | 27 within 10 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Hackerspaces and makerspaces | 0 within 10 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Green space | 18.1 % of land | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Distance to the sea | 1 km | Natural Earth 5.1 | city | [Natural Earth (coastline, land, countries and populated places)](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) | Public domain |
| Distance to the mountains | 262 km | terrain tiles 2017 | city | [Terrain Tiles (Terrarium) on AWS Open Data](https://registry.opendata.aws/terrain-tiles/) | Public domain (USGS, NOAA) and Open Government Licence – Canada, with attribution |
| Nearest major airport | 17 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OurAirports airports](https://ourairports.com/data/) | Public domain |
| Airports within 100 km | 5 airports | 2026-10-27 | city | [OurAirports airports](https://ourairports.com/data/) | Public domain |
| Rail and metro stations | 15 within 10 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Cycle paths | 332 km within 10 km | 2026-10-27 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| English speakers | 80 % of population | CLDR 49 | Singapore-wide | [CLDR territory information](https://cldr.unicode.org/) | Unicode-3.0 |
| English is official | yes | CLDR 49 | Singapore-wide | [CLDR territory information](https://cldr.unicode.org/) | Unicode-3.0 |
| Adults with a degree | 53.2 % of adults | 2024 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Developers on GitHub | 10.7 per 1,000 residents | 2026-11-05 | city | [GitHub user search](https://docs.github.com/en/rest/search/search#search-users) | No data licence: only total counts of profiles are stored (GitHub Acceptable Use Policies, section 7) |
| Everyday needs on foot | 93 % of streets | 2026-11-05 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API: walking and cycling](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Cycle network | 2.04 km per km² of land | 2026-11-05 | city | [OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API: walking and cycling](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | ODbL-1.0 |
| Out of the dense city | 9.4 km | 2025 | city | [GHS Urban Centre Database 2025 (R2024A), general characteristics](https://human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu/ghs_ucdb_2024.php) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Abortion in law | on request, 10 weeks or later | 2026-11-05 | Singapore-wide | [Abortion in law, from the statutes cited](https://github.com/ABCastor/borgo/blob/main/src/fetch/rights-law.ts) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Doctors | 2.8 per 1,000 people | 2022 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Unemployment | 2.8 % of the labour force | 2025 | Singapore-wide | [World Development Indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Control of corruption | 1.97 -2.5 to 2.5 | 2025 | Singapore-wide | [Worldwide Governance Indicators](https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators) | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Same-sex couples in law | legal, no union in law | 2026 | Singapore-wide | [Same-sex couples in law, from the statutes cited](https://github.com/ABCastor/borgo/blob/main/src/fetch/rights-law.ts) | CC-BY-4.0 |

No open figure yet for: rent, one bedroom, rent, three bedrooms, childcare fees, one child, childcare fees, two children, childcare, net of support: couple, one child, childcare, net of support: couple, two children, childcare, net of support: single parent, one child, childcare, net of support: single parent, two children, your childcare cost, health insurance premium, paid leave for mothers, paid leave for fathers, life satisfaction, public swimming pools (official), green urban areas (official), commuting by public transport, commute time, monthly transit pass, road deaths, born abroad, internet speed, walking or cycling to work, politics, left to right.

## Comparisons

- [Singapore vs Athens](https://borgo.abcastor.com/compare/athens-gr-vs-singapore-sg/index.md)
- [Singapore vs Dubai](https://borgo.abcastor.com/compare/dubai-ae-vs-singapore-sg/index.md)
- [Singapore vs Melbourne](https://borgo.abcastor.com/compare/melbourne-au-vs-singapore-sg/index.md)
- [Singapore vs Sydney](https://borgo.abcastor.com/compare/singapore-sg-vs-sydney-au/index.md)
- [Singapore vs Tokyo](https://borgo.abcastor.com/compare/singapore-sg-vs-tokyo-jp/index.md)

## Credits

- Borgo contributors, from the statutes cited in each figure's note ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- Unicode CLDR territory information. Copyright © 1991-2026 Unicode, Inc. Used under the Unicode License v3 (https://www.unicode.org/license.txt) ([Unicode License v3](https://www.unicode.org/license.txt))
- Borgo contributors, from the statutes cited in each figure's note ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- Founders Running Club communities list (facts of presence and links only) ([No licence from the publisher: only facts of presence are stored](https://foundersrc.com/communities))
- Places, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0 ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- GHS-UCDB R2024A, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, CC BY 4.0, doi:10.2905/1a338be6-7eaf-480c-9664-3a8ade88cbcd; Borgo derives the distance from the centre to the urban centre's edge Shores and lakes from Natural Earth (public domain) decide which directions lead on to land. ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- Counts of GitHub profiles by stated location, from GitHub's public user search (counts only, no profile data) ([No data licence from the publisher: only total counts are stored, no record about anyone, as its terms allow public, non-personal information in openly published research](https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/acceptable-use-policies/github-acceptable-use-policies#7-information-usage-restrictions))
- Borgo contributors, from the labour codes cited in each figure's note ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- Public holidays from Nager.Date (date.nager.at), MIT License, Copyright (c) Nager ([MIT License](https://opensource.org/license/mit))
- Made with Natural Earth (public domain) ([Public domain (dedicated by the publisher)](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/about/terms-of-use/))
- Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/), CC BY 4.0 Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2021-2025. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains. ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- OpenAlex (openalex.org), CC0 ([CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/))
- © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) ([Open Database License 1.0](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/))
- © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) ([Open Database License 1.0](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/))
- Airports from OurAirports (ourairports.com), public domain ([Public domain (dedicated by the publisher)](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/about/terms-of-use/))
- Research Organization Registry (ror.org), CC0 ([CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/))
- Terrain Tiles on AWS Open Data (Mapzen, a Linux Foundation project): SRTM and GMTED2010 terrain data courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey; ETOPO1, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Canada terrain data contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada ([Terrain Tiles source terms: public domain (USGS, NOAA) and Open Government Licence – Canada, with attribution](https://github.com/tilezen/joerd/blob/master/docs/attribution.md))
- World Health Organization, WHO Ambient Air Quality Database (Version 8.0), 2026, accessed 2026-10-27; data provided by the national and regional agencies named in each value's note WHO does not endorse Borgo, its use of these data, or any city ranking built from them. Values are as published by WHO; WHO advises against using the database to rank cities or compare countries directly, because monitoring differs between places. ([WHO terms and conditions for data compilations](https://www.who.int/about/policies/publishing/data-policy/terms-and-conditions))
- WMO Member Nations (2023). WMO Climatological Standard Normals for 1991-2020 (NCEI Accession 0253808), sunshine duration. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://doi.org/10.25921/800j-vn07 ([No licence attached: NCEI public access with a requested citation, under the WMO Unified Data Policy](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0253808))
- World Bank, World Development Indicators, CC BY 4.0 (underlying sources named in each figure's note: ICP, IMF, UNODC, UN Population Division, WHO, ILO, UNESCO Institute for Statistics) ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
- World Bank, Worldwide Governance Indicators, Control of Corruption estimate, CC BY 4.0 ([CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))

## Cite

Borgo, "Living in Singapore", https://borgo.abcastor.com/city/singapore-sg/, figures as of 2026-11-05. Name the original source of any figure you quote. JSON: https://borgo.abcastor.com/api/city/singapore-sg.json