Housing costs dent Singapore’s finance-tax score in relocation index

Tax advantages score 90 whilst housing affordability hits a low of 13.

Singapore's financial and tax pillar scored 71.6 out of 100 in the 2026 Rumavi Global Relocation Index, offset by a low reading for the housing affordability sub-metric.

The index, published on 1 July 2026, ranked Singapore second globally overall, just behind Estonia with 72.8 points.

Singapore posted a currency and banking stability score of 98, the highest reading across all 24 metrics in its country profile.

The territorial tax system exempts foreign-sourced income from taxation in most cases, earning a score of 90 on that metric.

Singapore levies no capital gains tax and no wealth tax, contributing to a capital and wealth tax score of 82.

The top marginal income tax rate stood at 24%, placing Singapore's income tax metric at 80, whilst general affordability, which measures the cost of living outside housing, scores 25.

Housing affordability scored 13, the lowest reading amongst all metrics in Singapore's index profile.

The financial and tax pillar ranked below the safety and stability pillar (80.2) and the settling and opportunity pillar (80.2), but above the livability and health pillar (64.6).

Singapore ranked first out of 192 countries in the index's tax-friendliness persona category.

The index methodology states that 16 of its 24 metrics draw on named institutional data sources.

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