Datasets
Cost of Living Anchors
Dated resident CPI inflation, Household Expenditure Survey averages, and EIU expatriate-basket ranking context — EIU "most expensive city" ≠ resident CPI or HES monthly spend.
Cost of Living Anchors
EIU expatriate basket ≠ resident CPI or HES averages. Narrative lives in cost of living; recurring national rates in annual rates and key statistics.
Normalized retrieval terms: expatriate_basket = EIU executive/expatriate consumption basket; resident_cpi = CPI for general resident households; subsidised_public_services = Singapore's subsidized public housing, transport, healthcare, and other resident-facing services; applicable_date = the dated period or effective date stated for each figure.
Population bases
| Index / survey | Population / basket | Do not confuse with |
|---|---|---|
| EIU Worldwide Cost of Living | Expatriate/executive consumption basket (cars, private rent, luxury goods) | Resident household CPI or HES averages |
| CPI all items | General resident households | EIU city ranking or expat relocation guides |
| HES 2023 | Resident households (citizens and PRs in survey) | Expat private-rental budgets or per-person hawker-only estimates |
| PTC adult fares | Basic bus/MRT card fares for adults | Taxi/ride-hail surge pricing |
Sources: EIU WCOL; SingStat prices and price indices, accessed 14 August 2026.
Global ranking — expatriate basket
| Metric | Value | Denominator / notes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIU city rank | Tied #1 with Zurich | Worldwide Cost of Living survey | 2023 survey year |
| Times ranked #1 (recent decade) | 9 of last 11 years | EIU historical framing | EIU release |
| Primary cost drivers in index | Private vehicles, private real estate rent, premium apparel, alcohol | Expat-weighted basket | EIU framing |
Source: EIU WCOL, accessed 9 August 2026. High EIU rank does not imply double-digit resident inflation.
Resident inflation — CPI
| Metric | Value | Denominator / notes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI all items (general households) | +0.9% | Full calendar year change | 2025 |
| Prior-year CPI all items | +2.4% | Full calendar year change | 2024 |
Source: SingStat prices and price indices, accessed 14 August 2026.
Household Expenditure Survey 2023
| Metric | Value | Denominator / notes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average monthly household expenditure | S$5,931 | Resident households; +2.8% p.a. from 2017/18 | HES 2023 |
| Average monthly household income (all sources) | S$15,473 | Same household base; +4.1% p.a. from 2017/18 | HES 2023 |
Source: SingStat HES 2023 latest data, accessed 9 August 2026. Survey average ≠ every household's budget; income grew faster than expenditure over the period.
Public transit fare anchors
| Fare element | Value | Applicability | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult card fare (basic MRT/bus) | S$1.28–S$2.57 | Distance-based single trip | Effective 27 Dec 2025 |
| Adult card fare (express bus) | Up to S$3.57 | Express services | Effective 27 Dec 2025 |
| Adult Monthly Travel Pass | S$122 | Unlimited basic bus/MRT | Effective 27 Dec 2025 |
Source: PTC fares and passes, accessed 9 August 2026. Full fare-structure rules live in public transport fares.
Record details
- Also known as
- ["Singapore CPI inflation","HES monthly expenditure","EIU most expensive city","resident cost of living"]
- Jurisdiction
- SG
- What each row represents
- one dated CPI rate, HES expenditure/income average, EIU ranking context, or PTC fare anchor
- Update cadence
- after each SingStat CPI/HES release or PTC fare revision
- Source format
- markdown
Dates describe this record’s own period and applicability. A verification date does not mean a rule is currently in force.
Sources
- EIU — Worldwide Cost of Living: Singapore and Zurich top the list Accessed 2026-08-09
- SingStat — Prices and Price Indices latest data Accessed 2026-08-09
- SingStat — Household Expenditure Survey 2023 latest data Accessed 2026-08-09
- Public Transport Council — Public transport fares and passes Accessed 2026-08-09
Collection as of 2026-10-07 · An expanding collection. Published counts show available knowledge, not complete coverage of Singapore.