Singapore is 5th most expensive location for expatriates

The Lion City jumped eight places in ECA’s cost of living rankings.

Rising rental costs have pushed Singapore to become the fifth most expensive location in the world for expatriates, ECA International revealed.

The Lion City moved up eight places in the list. This also marks the first time that Singapore has entered the top five.

In Asia, Singapore ranked second to Hong Kong.

“Singapore’s rise is notable. Increased demand for rental accommodation in the Lion City, driven by factors such as the earlier relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions compared to other key locations in the region, was not matched by corresponding increases in the supply of suitable accommodation,” said Lee Quane, Regional Director – Asia at ECA International.

Based on the report, the cost of a 500 mL soy sauce in Singapore is US$5.92. Meanwhile, Singaporeans have to pay US$1.64 for 1kg of sugar, US$4.88 for a dozen eggs, US$5.34 for a cup of coffee at a cafe, and US$2.42 for a litre of petrol. These five items are part of ECA’s cost of living basket.

Follow the link for more news on

ECA International

Reaching the people who run Asia's businesses is harder than it used to be.

Inboxes are crowded. Attention is short. The executives you most want to reach — the founders, CFOs, and operators who actually move budgets — are the hardest to find through the usual channels. If you're building a company, a category, or a reputation, you already know this.

We've spent twenty years building the room they read. Singapore Business Review is where senior decision makers in Singapore and across Southeast Asia come for business coverage they can't get elsewhere — in print, online, and in person at the summits and roundtables we host across seven markets.

If you have something these readers should know about — a point of view worth publishing, a product worth their attention, an event worth their time — we'd like to hear what you're trying to do.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia