Living in Singapore, Singapore
Singapore is a major coastal city in Singapore (over 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 27°C over the year with about 2,639 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €4,469 a month to live centrally, and Singapore sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Singapore is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €4,469
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 27°C
- 2,639 mm rain a year
- Size
- Major
- over 5 million people
- Safety
- 90/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~280 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Singapore
- Faster internet than 100% of the cities we compare
- Safer than 100% of the cities we compare
- Pricier than 99% of the cities we compare
- Warmer than 92% of the cities we track
- Stronger healthcare than 89% of the cities we compare
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Singapore runs at about 280 Mbps, faster than 100% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Singapore scores 90 out of 100 on safety, safer than 100% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.2 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Singapore. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €4,469 a month to live centrally in Singapore, 64% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 1% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Climate
Singapore averages 27°C across the year with about 2,639 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 92% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Healthcare
Singapore scores 78 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 89% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Singapore.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term residency runs through an employer-sponsored Employment Pass for skilled professionals, the EntrePass for active entrepreneurs, or the Global Investor Programme for high-net-worth investors; there is no retirement or passive-income visa and permanent residency is selectively granted.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Singapore:
- Investment: about $7.8M (Global Investor Programme Option A, SGD 10 million business investment (converted at SGD/USD 0.7815); as of June 2026)
For short visits, 164 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 34 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: English, Mandarin, Malay. English proficiency: good. Social openness scores 65 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Singapore sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Singapore in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Singapore
Is Singapore a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Singapore scores well on safety, healthcare, internet speed and English. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a warm, very wet climate (27°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Singapore and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Singapore?
We estimate about €4,469 a month for a couple living centrally, 64% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Singapore?
Singapore is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Singapore in their results.
Can foreigners live in Singapore long term?
Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term residency runs through an employer-sponsored Employment Pass for skilled professionals, the EntrePass for active entrepreneurs, or the Global Investor Programme for high-net-worth investors; there is no retirement or passive-income visa and permanent residency is selectively granted. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $7.8M (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Singapore?
Singapore averages 27°C across the year with about 2,639 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 92% of the cities we track.
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