Moving to Singapore from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Singapore — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Singapore, you would find that Singapore is 56.5% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$125,240 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly SGD232,287 in Singapore to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Singapore averages 89°F vs 62°F in Wellington, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Singapore.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$125,240 → SGD232,287
To maintain the same standard of living in Singapore
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 29.8% less
Groceries
pay 38.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.2 times more
Housing
pay 97.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand to Singapore, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and Singapore stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand performs better than Singapore across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Singapore generally does better on infrastructure, though New Zealand leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Singapore performs significantly better than New Zealand across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Singapore generally does better on family life, though New Zealand leads in education spending.
Data: New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Wellington | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Meteorological Service Singapore
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and Singapore. To live, work, or study long-term in Singapore, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Singapore's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa Free
Singapore passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Singapore than New Zealand?
Day-to-day costs in Singapore run about 143% higher than New Zealand on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Singapore?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$125,240 comparable salary, that's around SGD58,072 in Singapore for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Singapore?
With 37.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Singapore can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and Singapore.
Is Singapore safe for expats?
Singapore performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Singapore is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Singapore compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore leads in health coverage index. There are 26.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Singapore, compared to 35.7 in New Zealand. Singapore scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Singapore compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Singapore is 89°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Singapore receives around 83.2 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Singapore?
The official languages in Singapore are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
