If you have found yourself typing “nursing home Singapore cost” into a search bar late at night, you are probably facing one of the hardest decisions a family makes. A parent’s needs have grown, the current arrangement is not holding, and the choice seems to be between a nursing home and bringing in a live-in caregiver at home.
We place helpers with families caring for elderly parents, so we have an obvious interest in the answer. That is exactly why we want to be straightforward about it. A live-in helper is the right arrangement for many families, but not for all. Some parents need a level of nursing and supervision that a nursing home is set up to provide and a household is not.
Cost matters, but it is rarely the only factor. The real question is what level of care your parent needs now, what they are likely to need in a year, and what your family can sustain without burning out.
This guide compares the two options fairly: what each costs according to official sources, which subsidies and concessions apply, which care needs point clearly towards a nursing home, and the middle-ground options many families overlook. Fees and subsidies change, so confirm current figures with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) before you decide.
What a nursing home provides, and who it is for
AIC’s nursing home page describes nursing homes as long-term residential care for people who need help or supervision with movement or daily activities and who cannot be cared for at home, even after other options such as day care or home care have been tried. Care includes help with showering, eating and toileting, nursing care such as feeding tubes, catheters and wound care, and physical and social activities. Some homes specialise in dementia or psychiatric conditions.
Admission is by referral from a hospital, polyclinic or medical social worker who knows the person’s condition, and an AIC Link can help with the application. It is not usually a matter of simply choosing a home and moving in.
Nursing home Singapore cost and the subsidies that apply
AIC states that the basic cost of a nursing home starts from $3,900 per month depending on the level of care needed, before government subsidies. Deposits and other charges may also apply. Many families search for an “old folks home Singapore price” expecting a single figure, but the amount you actually pay depends heavily on subsidies.
The Ministry of Health’s residential long-term care subsidy table, effective from 1 July 2026, works like this:
- Who qualifies. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents receiving care from government-funded providers.
- How it is assessed. By monthly household income per person, which is total gross household income divided by the number of family members living together. Where there is no income, the annual value of the home is used.
- Maximum rates. Up to 80% for Singapore Citizens born in 1969 or earlier, up to 75% for citizens born after 1969, and up to 50% for Permanent Residents, at the lowest income levels.
- Income ceiling. Households with income per person of $4,801 and above receive no subsidy.
Subsidies taper as income rises, so check the full table for your band. Subsidies apply only at government-funded providers, so ask whether the home you are considering is one. If your parent has a severe disability, schemes listed on HealthHub such as CareShield Life, ElderShield and MediSave Care may also help with long-term care costs. A medical social worker can walk you through what applies.
What a live-in caregiver at home costs
The costs of employing a helper are spread across several items rather than one monthly bill. Our full breakdown of maid costs goes into detail, but the main components set by MOM are these.
- Salary. MOM does not set a minimum salary for helpers. You pay what is declared in the Work Permit application, and rates vary with experience and nationality.
- Levy. The normal levy is $300 a month for a first helper. The concessionary levy is $60 a month if an eligible household member is a Singapore Citizen aged 67 or above, among other conditions. For a person with disabilities under 67, the concession requires an AIC recommendation.
- Insurance. Medical insurance with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000 and personal accident insurance of at least $60,000 are mandatory. Premiums vary by insurer.
- Security bond. A $5,000 bond is required for every helper except Malaysians, usually arranged as an insurer’s guarantee.
- Upkeep. Food, accommodation, medical care including her six-monthly medical examination, Work Permit fees and any agency fees.
On the support side, the Home Caregiving Grant pays up to $600 a month, according to AIC, for eligible families caring for someone at home who permanently needs help with at least three activities of daily living. It can be used towards hiring a helper. AIC states that it is not available to people living in a nursing home.
We are deliberately not putting a single “total” against either option. Your figure depends on your parent’s subsidy band, the home chosen, the helper’s salary and your insurance plan. Work out both using your own numbers.
When a nursing home is the safer choice
This is the section we would most like families to read carefully. A live-in helper can be trained in basic caregiving, but she is not a nurse, she needs sleep, and she is entitled to a weekly rest day. A nursing home is likely to be the more appropriate choice when:
- Your parent needs skilled nursing every day. Examples include complex wound care, frequent tube feeding management or other procedures that a doctor says need trained nursing staff.
- Supervision is needed around the clock. Some people with advanced dementia wander, become distressed at night or are at risk of harming themselves. One person cannot safely watch someone 24 hours a day, every day.
- Transfers need two people or equipment. Lifting a fully dependent adult safely may require more than one person or a hoist.
- The home cannot be adapted. If there is no space for a hospital bed, a commode and a wheelchair, or no suitable room for a helper, care at home becomes harder.
- There is no family backup. A helper working alone without a family member to share decisions, cover rest days and handle emergencies is under real strain, and so is your parent.
Your parent’s doctor, a medical social worker or AIC can assess what level of care is needed. Their view should carry more weight than the cost comparison.
When a live-in caregiver at home works well
A helper at home suits many parents who need help with daily living but whose medical condition is stable. Typical examples include a parent who needs help with bathing, dressing and getting around, who needs medication reminders and meals prepared, or who is in the earlier stages of dementia and does better in familiar surroundings.
Home care keeps your parent in their own community, eating their own food, near family and neighbours. It also lets the household adjust care hour by hour. Our page on live-in helpers for elderly care explains how we match families with helpers who have elderly caregiving experience, and we pre-train helpers before placement. A helper still needs clear instructions from your parent’s doctor or therapist on anything clinical.
Hybrid options between home and nursing home
The choice is rarely all or nothing. Many families combine a helper with subsidised community services, which MOH funds through its non-residential long-term care subsidies, covering services such as home nursing, home therapy, home personal care and day care.
- Home nursing. A nurse visits for specific procedures, while the helper handles daily care.
- Day care. Your parent attends a centre for activities and therapy, giving the helper time for household work and a proper rest.
- Nursing home respite. AIC’s nursing home respite care provides short stays, including while your helper is on home leave.
These combinations can extend the time a parent can safely stay at home. They can also be a useful trial before a long-term decision.
Related guides: Home Caregiver Singapore: When an Elderly Parent Needs Help and Maid for Elderly Care Singapore: How Agencies Screen Helpers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a nursing home cost in Singapore?
AIC states that the basic cost starts from $3,900 per month, depending on the level of care, before government subsidies, with deposits and other charges possible. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents at government-funded homes can receive means-tested subsidies of up to 80%, with no subsidy for households with income per person of $4,801 or more. Ask the home and a medical social worker for your actual figure.
Can I get the levy concession and the Home Caregiving Grant together?
They are separate schemes run by different agencies, and many families caring for a parent at home qualify for both. The levy concession is administered by MOM and applies automatically for an eligible parent aged 67 or above once the conditions are met, such as matching NRIC addresses and listing your parent as a household member in FDW eService. The Home Caregiving Grant is applied for through AIC and requires a disability assessment.
Can a helper provide the same care as a nursing home?
Not for every need. A trained helper can provide daily personal care, companionship, meals and supervision, but she is not a nurse and cannot provide round-the-clock care alone. Where a parent needs daily skilled nursing or constant supervision, a nursing home or a combination with home nursing may be safer. Ask your parent’s doctor.
Who can help us decide?
Start with your parent’s doctor and a medical social worker at the hospital or polyclinic. AIC’s hotline, 1800-650-6060, and its AIC Link centres can explain the services and subsidies available and help with applications.
Conclusion
Comparing a nursing home with a live-in caregiver is not really a price comparison. It is a care comparison that happens to involve money. Start with what your parent needs, informed by their doctor, then look at what each option costs your household after subsidies, concessions and grants.
For many families a helper at home, supported by day care, home nursing or occasional respite, gives a parent safe and familiar care. For others, a nursing home is the responsible and loving choice. Neither is a failure. Figures change, so confirm current fees and schemes with AIC, MOH and MOM before you commit.
If you would like to talk through whether a live-in helper could meet your parent’s needs, our consultants are happy to help. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s caregiving needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like. A short conversation now tends to prevent a longer one later.
The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.
