Singapore is home to some of the best universities in the world. With a wide variety of student accommodation options, it is very important for an international student to find the best fit for them. The average cost of student accommodation in Singapore is SGD 400 to SGD 800. Though it largely depends on the location, type of accommodation, and other factors opted while pursuing higher education in Singapore.

For a continuous number of years, Singapore has been named the best-performing location for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Official citizens account for approximately 60% of Singapore's population; while the remaining 40% are permanent residents or foreign students and workers. This indicates that Singapore is a widely considered country to study abroad amongst students.

On Campus Student Accommodation in Singapore

Universities in Singapore provide excellent student accommodation options on campus for international students. The two largest public universities in Singapore, namely National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) do have a wide variety of options. The options available include student halls, studios, and family accommodations (with or without food). In Singapore, there are several public, private and international universities with on-campus accommodation options.

Living on campus does provide you with great opportunities, but one should not forget that it comes with its own advantages as well as disadvantages. While being on campus it makes you more accessible to college life while being considerably cheaper than private housing facilities. It enables quick access to libraries and lecture halls, and ostensibly making interaction with professors is easiest.

The golden point is that there are no additional charges for most of the facilities, since the fees you pay are inclusive. However, since it is a public space, one might face lack of privacy. And living on campus keeps you away from the happenings of lack of city life and decreases the number or sometimes even quality of opportunities.

Off Campus Student Accommodation In Singapore

These are a common choice for international students getting admission to Singaporian universities. In fact, they are also rather popular with local students too. Many off-campus student accommodation in Singapore options are often situated close enough to a university. Some Universities also have a tie up with these hostels and help their students – local as well as international, get rooms at these hostels. One can get in touch with the International Student Council in this regard.

Either way, we have briefed about the options for off-campus student accommodation in Singapore below.

Off Campus Student Hostels

Apart from hostels on-campus, one can explore various off campus student hostels. Off-campus hostels are the same as the ones on campus, the differences arise in the aspects like, freedom, quality of room, lifestyle, and city life.

Housing Development Board

A statutory body under the Ministry of National Development and Singapore’s public housing authority, HDB comes with various flat renting options. These options are spread over 25+ towns with variant options for rooms and rates.

The types of rooms available at HDB are:

• Emergency
• Improved
• Standard
• New Generation
• Model “A”
• Simplified
• New Generation

The average rate can be around SGD 500-1000 for a basic 3 Bedroom HDB apartment.

Private Accommodations

Student accommodation in Singapore includes private accommodations in Singapore, there are a wide variety of options available. From condominiums to home stays, every one of them comes with recreational facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds for children, secured access, etc.

A basic cost of the same are listed below:

Living off campus while looking for student accommodation in Singapore might seem a good option since it comes with the freedom to enjoy the city life. It also enhances the quality of your social life because of easier interaction with the home population and culture. One can also have their friends and family for stay-overs. Not just social life, but it also provides you with privacy. But this might turn out to be expensive for you as an international student. One would need to look for services and pay them separately, while on campus accommodations are inclusive.

Check Types of Singapore Student Visa

Cost of Off-Campus Accommodation as per Regions

Singapore is divided into five regions: Central, North, North-East, East, and West. And these are again divided into districts. Many prices are similar in the regions, but student accommodation in Singapore prices vary greatly from region to region.

Expect rent to be cheaper if you live in the outskirts of the city. To be specific, the north of the country has many districts that are considered affordable. The cost of student accommodation in Singapore as per regions are mentioned below.

The central region has the most expensive rent, being the hub for everything. Whereas north and east are the cheapest of all, but one living here has to be comfortable with commuting expenditures.

Living Expenses in Singapore

Apart from the accommodation expenses, one has to be ready with the other expenses as well. The average student accommodation in Singapore costs SGD 1,846 to SGD 2,779, but there are more areas you would need to spend.

Listed below are the areas you would need to spend too:

• Monthly gas, water and electricity bills may range from a low of SGD 200 to a high of SGD 600 a month, depending on your air-conditioning usage.
• Mobile phone subscription costs anywhere between SGD 35 to SGD 100 per month. A broadband Internet connection at home will cost you around SGD 50 per month.
• For cable TV connection you can estimate about SGD 28 for the basic channel subscription and SGD 50 – SGD 80 for the expanded subscription.
• Public buses in particular cost around 1 SGD per trip. The efficient MRT is also cheap at around 2 SGD per journey.

So, one should have a good research work done about their accommodation to adjust their living expenses accordingly. There are many online portals for asking prices on the market, below are a few of them.

• 99.co
• PropertyGuru
• SRX Property
• Singapore Expats Forum

Checklist for Student Accommodation in Singapore

It is well known that accommodation choices abound in Singapore. By and large, the cost of living in Singapore is kinder to people who know how to manage their finances. As an international student in Singapore, you need to be aware of a few things and keep a check on them before you finalize your accommodation.

• Location/Near To The School
• Type of Housing
• Cultural surrounding
• Weather conditions
• Rent Fee & Variation across housing websites
• Personal Necessities
• Housing Agreement Policies

While student accommodation in Singapore has a wide variety of options, it may be very complex to pick the best from them. Living off-campus would increase the investment in accommodation but comes with attractive advantages, whereas on-campus accommodations are inclusive of many services.

Overall the final note has to be made that as an international student in Singapore, the cost of living can fall around SGD 10,000 - SGD 12,000. So, one should be ready and clear with their priorities set. The same can be achieved with extensive research according to your university and preferences.