Software Engineer Salary: Singapore vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇸🇬 Singapore
Singapore
S$120K SGD
$90K USD
$111K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-51%
Singapore vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$185K USD
$185K USD
$185K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Singapore | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | S$120K SGD | $185K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $90K | $185K | -51% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $111K | $185K 🏆 | -40% |
| 25th Percentile | S$96K SGD | $148K USD | — |
| Median | S$120K SGD | $185K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | S$150K SGD | $231K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | S$130K SGD | $200K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Singapore offers a Software Engineer salary of $90K USD, while San Francisco offers $185K USD — a difference of -51% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Singapore's salary is worth $111K in US purchasing power terms, versus $185K for San Francisco. This means San Francisco offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.