How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Maid in Singapore? Full Breakdown 2026

Last updated: June 2026

If you have started looking into the cost of hiring a maid in Singapore in 2026, you have probably noticed how scattered the numbers are. One article quotes the agency fee, another quotes the salary, a third mentions a levy, and nobody adds it all up. That leaves most families unsure what they are actually committing to before they sign anything.

This guide does the adding up for you. We will walk through the one-off setup costs, the monthly running costs, and the costs people tend to forget, then total everything across a typical two-year contract so you can see the real picture. A foreign domestic worker, often called a maid, helper, or FDW, is hired on a Work Permit, which is the work pass the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) issues for this kind of employment.

We run a maid agency and a boarding house here in Singapore, so these are the same questions families ask us every week. Our aim is to be honest about the full commitment, not to talk you into anything. If you want to browse helper profiles while you read, you can see our available full-time helpers anytime. Let us get into the numbers.

One-off setup costs (the money you pay upfront)

These are the costs you pay once, near the start, to bring a helper on board. The biggest variable is the agency placement fee. This is what the agency charges to source, screen, and match a helper to your household, and to handle the paperwork. In 2026, placement fees in Singapore typically range from SGD 1,000 to SGD 3,000. Filipino helpers usually command higher placement fees, often SGD 2,000 or more, while Indonesian helpers are often closer to SGD 1,000.

Next is the security bond. This is a SGD 5,000 guarantee you lodge with MOM for each helper, and it is required for every nationality except Malaysian helpers. It is important to understand this is a deposit, not a fee you lose. If you follow the rules of the Work Permit, the bond is not forfeited. Most families buy a small bond insurance premium instead of putting down the full SGD 5,000 in cash, and by law this premium is employer-borne and cannot be charged to your helper.

Then there are the medical and orientation steps. A first-time helper must attend the Settling-in Programme (SIP), a one-day safety and adjustment course that costs SGD 76.40 including GST and is paid by you. Your helper will also need a medical examination on arrival. For the Work Permit application and issuance fees themselves, these are a small fixed administrative cost, and we suggest confirming the current amount on the Ministry of Manpower website since it is a government-set figure.

In our experience at Femme5, most families budget somewhere in the region of SGD 2,000 to SGD 3,500 in total one-off setup costs, depending mainly on the helper's nationality and experience. If you would like us to map out the exact upfront figures for your situation, our full-time helper service walks you through every step.

Monthly running costs (what you pay every month)

Once your helper has started, the costs become a predictable monthly rhythm. The largest is salary. In 2026, monthly salary ranges typically look like this: Filipino helpers from about SGD 620 to SGD 900 or more for experienced hires, Indonesian helpers from about SGD 550 to SGD 700, and Myanmar helpers from about SGD 450 to SGD 600. The exact figure depends on experience, the type of work, and what is agreed in the contract.

The second monthly cost is the MOM levy. The levy is a monthly tax employers pay to the government for hiring a foreign domestic worker. For 2026, the standard levy rate is SGD 300 per month, according to the Ministry of Manpower. A concessionary rate of SGD 60 per month is available to eligible households, and we will explain that in detail further down. The levy is paid to MOM and is due by the 17th of the following month, usually by GIRO, though AXS, SingPost, and internet banking also work.

Beyond salary and levy, you are responsible for your helper's food and daily needs. Some families provide meals directly, while others give a monthly food allowance instead. In our experience, families who give an allowance commonly set it somewhere in the low hundreds of dollars a month, though this varies with household habits.

Insurance is the final recurring item, though it is usually bought as a lump sum upfront rather than monthly. As an employer you must buy medical insurance covering at least SGD 60,000 a year for inpatient care and day surgery, plus personal accident insurance covering at least SGD 60,000 a year, for policies effective on or after 1 July 2023. These plans usually run 14 or 26 months to line up with the contract. Like the security bond and the SIP fee, the insurance premium is employer-borne and cannot be passed to your helper.

Hidden costs people forget

This is the section that catches families out, because these costs do not show up in a simple monthly tally. The first is the 6-monthly medical examination, known as the 6ME. Female helpers must complete this check every six months, and it costs roughly SGD 30 to SGD 50 per visit, paid by you. Over two years that is four visits.

The second is rest days. Helpers are entitled to weekly rest days. If your helper agrees to work on a rest day instead of taking it, you compensate her for that day on top of her salary. Many families we work with build in either the rest days themselves or the extra pay, and it is worth deciding your approach early so there are no surprises. You can read more about how rest days and time off work on our FAQ page.

The third is annual leave and festive bonuses. While not all of these are strictly required by regulation, in practice most households we deal with give an ang pow or a festive bonus around Chinese New Year or another significant occasion, often equivalent to a portion of a month's salary. It is a goodwill cost that is easy to forget when budgeting.

The fourth, and the one families least like to think about, is replacement and repatriation. If a placement does not work out, there can be costs to bring in a replacement helper, and the employer is responsible for the cost of sending a helper home at the end of the contract, including her air ticket. When we place a helper, we talk through these scenarios upfront so they are part of the plan rather than a shock later. You can learn more about how Femme5 works and how we support families through changes like these.

How the levy concession changes the maths

The single biggest lever on your monthly cost is the levy concession, so it is worth understanding properly. The standard levy is SGD 300 a month. The concessionary rate is SGD 60 a month. That is a difference of SGD 240 every month, which works out to a saving of SGD 2,880 per year per helper, according to the Ministry of Manpower. Over a two-year contract, that is SGD 5,760 in your pocket.

You qualify for the concession if your household includes at least one of the following: a Singapore Citizen child under the age of 16, an elderly person aged 67 or above, or a person with disabilities. Many of the families we help fall into one of these groups without realising they qualify, which is part of why hiring a helper made sense for them in the first place.

The concession is applied through the CPF Board, not MOM, which trips up a lot of first-time employers. You can check the eligibility rules and apply through the CPF Board. If you are not sure whether your household qualifies, it is worth confirming before you budget, because it changes your total cost meaningfully. Feel free to contact our team if you would like help working out whether the concession applies to you.

Total cost of ownership: a realistic 2-year budget

Now let us put it all together. Below is a worked example for a typical family hiring a first-time Indonesian helper, with the household qualifying for the levy concession. Treat this as a composite example to show the method, not a quote. Your own numbers will shift with nationality, experience, and your household setup.

For this example we assume a salary of SGD 650 a month, the concessionary levy of SGD 60 a month, a placement fee of SGD 1,000, a food allowance of SGD 150 a month, and insurance of around SGD 600 for the contract. Here is how it adds up across 24 months.

Cost item	How it is calculated	2-year total (SGD)
Agency placement fee	One-off	1,000
Security bond	Insurance premium, not full 5,000 cash	120
Settling-in Programme	One-off, incl GST	76.40
Medical insurance	Covers the contract period	600
Work Permit and arrival medical	Confirm current figures on MOM	250
Helper salary	650 a month for 24 months	15,600
MOM levy (concessionary)	60 a month for 24 months	1,440
Food allowance	150 a month for 24 months	3,600
6-monthly medical exams	About 40 a visit, 4 visits	160
Festive bonus	One month salary across two years	650
Repatriation air ticket	One-off, end of contract estimate	300
Two-year estimated total	All items above	23,796.40

So for this particular profile, the all-in two-year cost lands at roughly SGD 24,000, or about SGD 1,000 a month averaged out. Now swap in a household that does not qualify for the concession and hires a more experienced Filipino helper. The standard levy adds SGD 5,760 over two years, a higher salary might add several thousand more, and the placement fee could be SGD 1,000 to SGD 2,000 higher.

For most families in 2026, a realistic all-in two-year budget falls somewhere between SGD 24,000 and SGD 36,000, depending heavily on the levy concession and the helper's nationality and experience. The two figures that move your total the most are the levy concession and salary, so those are the two worth getting right before you commit. If you want a clear, itemised estimate for your own household, the team at Femme5 is happy to build one with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to hire a maid in Singapore in 2026?

For most families, the all-in cost over a two-year contract falls between roughly SGD 24,000 and SGD 36,000, which averages out to about SGD 1,000 to SGD 1,500 a month. The biggest variables are the helper's salary, which ranges from about SGD 450 to SGD 900 or more depending on nationality and experience, and whether your household qualifies for the levy concession. Upfront setup costs, including the agency placement fee, typically add SGD 2,000 to SGD 3,500. We always suggest budgeting for the full contract rather than the monthly figure alone, since the one-off costs land early.

What is the maid levy in 2026 and who pays it?

The maid levy is a monthly tax the employer pays to the Ministry of Manpower for hiring a foreign domestic worker. In 2026, the standard rate is SGD 300 a month, according to MOM. Households with a young child, an elderly member, or a person with disabilities can apply for a concessionary rate of SGD 60 a month through the CPF Board. The levy is the employer's responsibility and cannot be charged to your helper. It is due by the 17th of the following month, and most families pay it automatically by GIRO so they never miss a deadline.

Is the security bond a fee I lose?

No, the security bond is not a fee you lose. It is a SGD 5,000 guarantee you lodge with MOM for each helper, required for every nationality except Malaysian helpers. Think of it as a deposit. As long as you follow the rules of the Work Permit, the bond is not forfeited and is discharged at the end of the employment. In practice, most families buy a small bond insurance premium rather than putting down the full SGD 5,000 in cash, which keeps the upfront outlay much lower. By law, this cost is employer-borne and cannot be passed on to your helper.

What costs can I legally pass on to my helper?

Several costs are employer-borne by law and cannot be charged to your helper. These include the security bond premium, the medical and personal accident insurance, and the Settling-in Programme fee. The levy is also strictly the employer's responsibility. Salary, food, and accommodation are things you provide as the employer, not costs you recover. In our experience at Femme5, being clear about this from day one builds trust and avoids disputes later. If you are ever unsure whether a particular cost can be shared, the safe answer is usually that it cannot, and you can confirm the rules on the MOM website.

How much do I save with the levy concession?

The concession reduces your levy from the standard SGD 300 a month to SGD 60 a month. That is a saving of SGD 240 every month, which adds up to SGD 2,880 a year per helper, according to MOM. Over a typical two-year contract, that is SGD 5,760, which is a meaningful chunk of your total budget. To qualify, your household needs a Singapore Citizen child under 16, an elderly person aged 67 or above, or a person with disabilities. The concession is applied through the CPF Board rather than MOM, so check the eligibility rules there before you finalise your budget.

Are there costs I should expect that are not listed on most price lists?

Yes, and these are the ones families tend to overlook. The 6-monthly medical examination costs roughly SGD 30 to SGD 50 each, four times over a two-year contract. Rest day compensation applies if your helper works on her entitled rest days. Most households also give a festive bonus, often around Chinese New Year, even though it is a goodwill gesture rather than a strict requirement. Finally, there is repatriation, the cost of sending your helper home at the end of the contract, including her air ticket. We talk all of these through with families upfront so the budget reflects the real commitment.

Can Femme5 give me an exact cost for my situation?

Yes. Because the total depends on your helper's nationality and experience, whether you qualify for the levy concession, and your own household setup, the most accurate figure comes from looking at your specific situation. We are happy to build an itemised two-year estimate with you at no cost and with no pressure to commit. You can start by browsing our available helpers or reaching out to our team directly. The goal is for you to see the full picture before you make any decision, so there are no surprises once your helper has started.

If you would like a clear, honest estimate built around your own household, we would be glad to help. You are welcome to a free, no-pressure consultation with the Femme5 team, where we will walk you through the numbers, answer your questions, and let you decide in your own time. There is no obligation to proceed.

About the author

The Femme5 Team helps Singapore families navigate the FDW hiring process from start to finish, drawing on hands-on experience running a maid matching service and boarding house and guiding households through MOM requirements every day.