Rental Costs in Singapore: A Guide for Singles Living Alone
For most people moving to Singapore alone, rent is the first real shock. It is almost always the largest line in the budget, and it is the one with the widest range. Two people on the same salary can pay very different amounts, simply because one took a shared room in the west and the other took a master room near an MRT.
When I first looked for a place here, I had no idea what was fair. I did not know the difference between a common room and a master room, or how much sharing actually saved. I learned it the slow way, by asking around.
So I collected the answers properly. I surveyed 68 singles living alone in Singapore and asked what they pay and what kind of room they take. This article breaks that down so you can walk into your search knowing the numbers.
Who answered the survey
The survey received 68 responses from singles living alone in Singapore. Of those, 42 are EP holders (or the DP of an EP holder) or Singapore PR holders, and 26 are S Pass holders.
I shared the link in a community WhatsApp group made up mostly of Sri Lankans living in Singapore. A few Indian and Indonesian friends here also filled it in.
All amounts are in Singapore dollars. On the day I pulled these numbers (19 January 2025), the Google rate was 1 USD = 1.37 SGD.
The four ways singles rent here
If you are living alone in Singapore, you are choosing between four setups. From most private to most affordable:
Master room, on your own. The room with the attached bathroom. Most privacy short of a whole unit.
Common room, on your own. A bedroom that uses a bathroom outside, usually shared with others in the flat. The most popular choice.
Whole unit, on your own. Complete independence, at the highest cost.
Shared room. You split one room with another person. The cheapest way to live here.
One thing to keep in mind through all of it. Location moves the price as much as the room type does. A room near the city or a short walk from an MRT costs more than the same room in a suburban neighbourhood. Being close to malls, workplaces and schools all pushes the rent up.
What each room type costs
Here is what the 68 singles reported paying, by room type.
| Room type | Range (S$) | Average (S$) | Median range (S$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared room | 300 – 750 | 625 | 500 – 750 |
| Common room | 650 – 1,650 | 1,094 | 1,000 – 1,300 |
| Master room | 1,000 – 2,200 | 1,503 | 1,500 – 1,800 |
| Whole unit | 2,300 – 3,000+ | 2,766 | 2,800 – 3,000 |
A few words on each.
A shared room is the cheapest way to live in Singapore, averaging about S$625. You give up privacy for the saving, which is why it suits people who are here to work and save rather than settle.
A common room is the popular middle ground, averaging S$1,094. Your own room, a shared bathroom, and a price most singles can live with.
A master room averages S$1,503 and buys you the attached bathroom and a bit more space. It is the step you take when privacy starts to matter more than the saving.
A whole unit averages S$2,766 and gives you the place to yourself. Full independence, at a premium most singles only take on once their income allows it.
Who chooses what
The room type tracks closely with the pass type, and it lines up with income.
Shared rooms were almost entirely S Pass holders. Of the 16 people sharing a room, 15 were on an S Pass.
Common rooms were the most popular single option overall, and the clear majority who chose them were EP holders.
Master rooms leaned EP too. Of the 19 people in a master room, 16 were EP holders.
Whole units were EP holders only. All 6 people renting a place to themselves were on an Employment Pass.
The picture is consistent. As income rises, people move from sharing a room, to a common room, to a master room, to a whole unit of their own.
Put it next to your full budget
Rent is the biggest line, but it is only one line. To see how it sits against groceries, transport, dining and the rest, read my companion piece: Cost of living in Singapore for singles living alone.
And once you know both, the useful next step is to check the numbers against your own income and savings. I built a free financial plan sheet to make that easy.
Rent is the number that scares people most before they move here. It should not. Pick the room type that matches the stage you are at, not the one you feel you should be at. That choice is yours, and it is the one that decides most of your monthly budget.
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