Moving to Australia from Singapore
What to Expect
Considering a move from Singapore to Australia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Singapore to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.3% more expensive than Singapore overall. A SGD96,960 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly A$50,355 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 89°F in Singapore, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Singapore and Australia.
What does your salary buy?
SGD96,960 → A$50,355
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 65.4% more
Groceries
pay 10.1% less
Transportation
pay 12.5% less
Housing
pay 12.0% less
Childcare
pay 17.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.4% 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Singapore to Australia.
people moved from Singapore to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
26.65,909
Singapore
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Australia compared to Singapore.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs better than Australia 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Singapore generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Singapore leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 better than Australia 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 Australia leads in education spending.
Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, 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 | Singapore | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Singapore passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Singapore?
On average Australia is about 53% less expensive than Singapore, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Budget about A$12,589 for 3 months in Australia (based on a SGD96,960 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Australia: 35.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Australia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Australia safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Singapore?
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 26.0 in Singapore. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
