Sovereign

Tech

Software Engineer Salary · Singapore vs Sydney

Net pay, tax drag, and purchasing power modeled for 2025 offers. Built for relocating teams, expats, and comp committees.

Net pay

Singapore

$189,260

18.8% effective rate

Net pay

Sydney

$169,518

35.9% effective rate

Annual delta

Spread

+$19,742

Singapore advantage

City

Singapore

Asia’s premier wealth management hub. Known for ultra-low personal income tax and high expatriate demand.

Median professional income

$105,500

Role modeled

Software Engineer

Gross base

$233,000

Net after tax

$189,260

Cost-of-living index

50

Rent index

63

City

Sydney

The financial heart of Oceania. High compensation roles in finance and law are common, matching a premium coastal lifestyle.

Median professional income

$119,500

Role modeled

Software Engineer

Gross base

$264,500

Net after tax

$169,518

Cost-of-living index

52

Rent index

72

Purchasing power

Net income vs lifestyle drag

Singapore

$15,772

Housing$4,732
Essentials$3,154
Discretionary$3,943
Savings$3,943

Sydney

$14,127

Housing$4,238
Essentials$2,825
Discretionary$3,532
Savings$3,532

Cost-of-living deep dive

Flip into the COL template for this exact pair. See rent burdens, discretionary drift, and PPP commentary.

Open COL page

Remote benchmark

Need a borderless baseline? Run the remote analyzer across our tier-one city basket.

Remote comparison

More combinations

Interlink into adjacent hubs to keep crawlers following the mesh.

Frequently asked

Who wins for Software Engineer net pay: Singapore or Sydney?+
Singapore keeps about $19,742 more after tax (18.8% effective rate) compared to Sydney (35.9%).
How different are the cost-of-living profiles?+
Singapore posts a cost-of-living index of 50 and rent index of 63. Sydney comes in at 52 / 72. The purchasing power gap tightens once you factor in rent and lifestyle drift.
What salary uplift offsets Sydney's taxes?+
You would need roughly $30,804 in additional gross compensation to match the same take-home pay in Singapore.