This is how a lot it’s worthwhile to earn to afford a apartment (2023)

Seeking to purchase non-public property however undecided how a lot you may afford? By no means worry, for 99.co is right here — that can assist you make knowledgeable property selections and past!

On the subject of shopping for property, it pays to be conscious when figuring out how a lot you may borrow, so that you don’t find yourself with a really costly mistake.

Eligibility versus affordability

Eligibility is to not be confused with affordability. Within the property-buying context, you will need to observe that one’s eligibility to take up a house mortgage just isn’t the identical as one’s means to afford a property.

How do you afford a apartment in Singapore? Some monetary specialists say that your month-to-month mortgage compensation, together with principal and curiosity, shouldn’t exceed 30% of your gross month-to-month revenue.

This is identical because the Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR) for HDB flats and new ECs. Others say that such necessities are too stringent.

person calculating home loan instalments
Choose a house based mostly on what you may afford for each upfront and ongoing funds.

Whereas opinions on what constitutes a golden mortgage-to-income ratio might differ, what’s vital to notice is that monetary sustainability ought to all the time be a key focus when making big-ticket purchases like property. That is so that you don’t find yourself starved of money on your different objectives (or having to eat prompt noodle and bread day by day).

How a lot do it’s worthwhile to earn to purchase a apartment?

To make life simpler for property seekers in Singapore, we’ve crunched the numbers to offer the approximate revenue that it’s worthwhile to be incomes to afford a apartment. This may rely upon the kind of apartment you’re shopping for (new condos are typically dearer) and its location (houses within the Core Central Area (CCR) are extra pricey).

These estimates are made based mostly on the power to service mortgage repayments with the next assumptions in thoughts:

For this text, we’re taking a look at 2-bedroom apartment models. Common costs are derived from 99.co’s Researcher, based mostly on gross sales transactions that occurred in This autumn of 2022. We additionally used 99.co’s mortgage calculator to calculate estimated month-to-month mortgage repayments

 The estimated month-to-month revenue it’s worthwhile to purchase a brand new apartment

Market phase Common worth Mortgage quantity (75%) Downpayment (25%) Estimated month-to-month instalment (with 4% rate of interest) Estimated month-to-month family  revenue 
CCR S$2.22m S$1.67m S$555,000 S$7,948 S$14,451
RCR S$1.75m S$1.31m S$438,000 S$6,266 S$11,393
OCR S$1.38m S$1.04m S$345,000 S$4,941 S$8,984

*Do observe that these estimates are based mostly on the common worth, which can be larger or decrease than the precise worth. We suggest you to calculate with 99.co’s mortgage calculator based mostly on the precise worth to find out if it’s inside your means.

99.co mortgage calculator to calculate mortgage for OCR condo
With 99.co’s mortgage calculator, merely enter the property worth and modify the tenure, rate of interest and LTV ratio.
99.co mortgage calculator to calculate mortgage for OCR condo
The mortgage calculator provides you a breakdown of the mortgage quantity, downpayment, month-to-month instalment and curiosity.

For those who meet the minimal revenue necessities, listed below are some new launch condos with 2-bedder models that hover fairly comfortably inside the common worth ranges within the respective market segments:

Core Central Area (CCR): 

Remainder of Central Area (RCR): 

Outdoors Central Area (OCR):

The estimated month-to-month revenue it’s worthwhile to purchase a resale apartment

Regardless of two rounds of cooling measures in December 2021 and September 2022, costs of condos have increased by 8.1% in 2022. When damaged down by market segments, RCR condos noticed the best worth improve at 9.7%, adopted by OCR condos at 9.3% and CCR condos at 4.8%

For those who’re searching for inexpensive condos, chances are you’ll need to contemplate resale condos.

Market phase Common worth Mortgage quantity (75%) Downpayment (25%) Estimated month-to-month instalment (with 4% rate of interest) Estimated month-to-month family  revenue 
CCR S$2.24m S$1.68m S$560,000 S$8,020 S$14,582
RCR S$1.5m S$1.13m S$375,000 S$5,370 S$9,764
OCR S$1.12m  S$840,000 S$280,000 S$4,010 S$7,291

*Do observe that these estimates are based mostly on the common worth, which can be larger or decrease than the precise worth. We suggest you to calculate with 99.co’s mortgage calculator based mostly on the precise worth to find out if it’s inside your means.

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For those who’re seeking to purchase resale non-public property, listed below are some initiatives with 2-bedder models that nestle snug inside the common worth ranges within the respective market segments:

d'leedon
Artist’s impression of D’leedon.

CCR: 

RCR: 

OCR: 

Now that you just’re caught up with how a lot each new and resale condos price in Singapore, you is likely to be asking the million-dollar query (actually): Can I actually afford to purchase a apartment?

We’ll have a look at the income numbers printed by the Ministry of Manpower’s Analysis and Statistics Division.

In accordance with them, the median gross month-to-month revenue from work (this contains employer CPF contributions) of full-time employed residents in 2022 is S$5,070 an 8.33% improve from the earlier 12 months.

For the uninitiated, the median takes the revenue within the center, so half of the employees earn lower than the numbers under, and half earn extra.

For those who’re a dual-income couple looking to buy a apartment, you’ll have twice the incomes energy to finance it. Together with your mixed revenue, condos within the OCR and RCR will fall inside your month-to-month affordability vary.

After being within the workforce and saving up for just a few years, you and your associate will in all probability have the ability to afford the hefty downpayment and signal that cheque to purchase your dream apartment.

Learn this: 8 steps to purchasing a brand new launch apartment in Singapore

Discover out extra about your affordability vary with 99.co’s affordability calculator!

[Additional reporting by Virginia Tanggono and Jamie Wong]


Planning to promote your property to purchase a brand new or resale apartment? Let us help you get started. 

For those who discovered this text useful, 99.co recommends New launch condos launching in Q1 of 2023 to improve or rightsize to and A fast evaluate of apartment gross sales with at the least 100% achieve in December 2022.