City comparison
Cost of living in Amsterdam vs Singapore
One person needs about €2,767 a month in Amsterdam and €3,070 in Singapore, rent included — Amsterdam is 11% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Singapore the way you live in Amsterdam on €3,000, you need
€3,329/ month net
11% more than today (+€329)
- Amsterdam today
- Basket €2,767 · left over €233 (8%)
- Singapore at the matched salary
- Basket €3,070 · left over €259 (8%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 195% over in Singapore (strong) vs 181% in Amsterdam. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
High pay and a 30% ruling for expats, wiped out by one of Europe's tightest housing markets.
Monthly budget: €2,767
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
🇸🇬 Singapore
Low tax and a great base for Asia, undone by rent and car costs.
Monthly budget: €3,070
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Amsterdam or Singapore?
On salary, Singapore pays more for tech roles (€6,000 versus €5,000 a month), so the money left over after costs is €2,930 in Singapore at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €1,900 in Amsterdam against €2,300 in Singapore. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Amsterdam at 70 and Singapore at 68 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.