Moving to China from Singapore
What to Expect
Considering a move from Singapore to China? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Singapore to China, you would find that China is 73.5% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD96,000 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly CN¥133,000 in China to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Shanghai averages 68°F vs 89°F in Singapore, making it significantly cooler.
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How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 65.3% less
Groceries
pay 56.0% less
Transportation
pay 73.8% less
Housing
pay 86.6% less
Childcare
pay 52.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 65.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in China?
What does your salary buy?
SGD96,000 → CN¥133,000
To maintain the same standard of living in China
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in China compared to Singapore.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs better than China 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
China 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
Singapore generally does better on environment, though China leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Singapore generally does better on infrastructure, though China 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 China 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Singapore generally does better on family life, though China leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2016), State Administration of Taxation (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in China vs Singapore
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Singapore | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
China Meteorological Administration
Can you move from Singapore to China?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Singapore passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China 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 China than Singapore?
On average China is about 73% less expensive than Singapore, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to China?
Budget about CN¥33,250 for 3 months in China (based on a SGD96,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from China?
Connectivity is usually fine (China: 47.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does China offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is China safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than China across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in China compared to Singapore?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore leads in health coverage index. There are 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 28.3 in Singapore. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in China compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Shanghai is 68°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Shanghai receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
