Aged Care Cost Comparison: Australia vs Singapore vs New Zealand (2026 Data)
Three countries fund older-age care in three very different ways. Australia charges a residential basic daily fee of A$66.80/day (My Aged Care, 2026); Singapore pays a CareShield Life base of S$689/month for severe disability (CPF Board, 2026); and New Zealand's Residential Care Subsidy starts once assets fall below about NZ$142,048 for a single person (Work and Income, 2025/26). Each figure is in its own currency and is not FX-converted.
Last updated: June 2026
Overview: three funding models, three currencies
Aged care is not priced the same way in Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, so there is no single headline 'cost' that compares cleanly across all three. The cleanest official anchors are: Australia's residential basic daily fee of A$66.80/day, set at 85% of the single Age Pension (Department of Health, My Aged Care, 2026); Singapore's CareShield Life base payout of S$689/month in 2026 for severe disability, a lifelong scheme that replaced ElderShield (CPF Board, 2026); and New Zealand's means-tested Residential Care Subsidy, which covers the shortfall once a person's assets fall below roughly NZ$142,048 for a single person or about NZ$284,000 for a couple (Work and Income, MSD, 2025/26). These are three structurally different mechanisms, not three prices for the same product, so they must be read side by side rather than subtracted from one another. Crucially, each country keeps its own currency throughout this page; the figures are in local currency and are not FX-adjusted, because converting between AUD, SGD and NZD would invent precision that the source data does not have.
Key statistics
These verified figures come from each country's Tier-1 official source: Australia's Department of Health (My Aged Care), Singapore's CPF Board and Ministry of Health, and New Zealand's Work and Income (MSD) and Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ). They describe how care is paid for, not a single comparable sticker price. Read each value with its currency attached.
Aged-care funding compared (local currency, never converted)
This flagship table lines the three countries up on the same care-funding mechanisms. Each cell keeps its own currency, and the columns measure structurally different things, so the table should be read as three independent funding models rather than a like-for-like price comparison. Every value carries its currency and source; indicative gross-fee ranges are labelled as such because they are not single official figures.
How older-age care is funded: Australia, Singapore, New Zealand
| Mechanism / metric | Australia (AUD) | Singapore (SGD) | New Zealand (NZD) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential care fee | Basic daily fee A$66.80/day (~A$24,382/yr), set at 85% of single Age Pension | Nursing-home gross fees ~S$2,000-S$4,500/month (indicative range, varies by facility) | Max contribution NZ$1,406.27-NZ$1,566.32/week (region-based; exact rate verify) | AU: Dept of Health 2026; SG: MOH framework 2024 (range indicative); NZ: Te Whatu Ora 2024 |
| Home / community care | Support at Home budgets A$11,000 to A$78,106/yr (8 classifications) | Non-residential LTC subsidy up to 80% for Citizens (55% PRs) | No single headline weekly fee published (verify) | AU: Dept of Health 2025; SG: MOH 2024; NZ: Te Whatu Ora |
| Subsidy / contribution mechanics | Full pensioners pay 0% clinical / 5% independence / 17.5% everyday | Means-tested subsidy up to 80% for Citizens (50-55% PRs), tiered by per-capita household income | Residential Care Subsidy covers shortfall once assets < ~NZ$142,048 (single) / ~NZ$284,000 (couple) | AU: Dept of Health 2025; SG: MOH eff. 1 Oct 2024; NZ: Work and Income (MSD) 2025/26 |
| Long-term-care insurance payout | n/a (no equivalent national scheme) | CareShield Life base S$689/month in 2026 (lifelong, severe disability) | n/a (ACC covers injury, not age-related LTC) | SG: CPF Board 2026 |
These are different funding models, not like-for-like prices. Figures are in local currency and are not FX-adjusted. The cleanest Tier-1 cells are the subsidy mechanics (all three), CareShield Life S$689 (SG), the AU basic daily fee A$66.80, and the NZ asset thresholds. Nursing-home gross-fee ranges (SG ~S$2,000-4,500/month) are indicative and vary by facility, not single official figures.
Australia: a pension-anchored daily fee plus capped home-care contributions (AUD)
Australia's residential aged-care cost is anchored to the pension. The basic daily fee is A$66.80/day, which works out to roughly A$24,382 per year, and it is deliberately set at 85% of the single Age Pension so that pensioners retain a guaranteed slice of their income (Department of Health, My Aged Care, 2026). For people who want to stay at home rather than enter residential care, the Support at Home program funds care through eight classification budgets ranging from A$11,000 up to A$78,106 per year (Department of Health, 2025). What a participant actually pays depends on the type of help: under Support at Home, a full pensioner pays 0% toward clinical care, 5% toward independence services, and 17.5% toward everyday-living services (Department of Health, 2025). The practical effect is that clinical needs are fully subsidised while everyday support carries the largest personal share, all denominated in AUD.
Singapore: a lifelong insurance payout plus a means-tested subsidy (SGD)
Singapore funds long-term care through a national insurance scheme paired with income-tested subsidies. CareShield Life pays a base of S$689 per month in 2026 to people with severe disability, and the payout is lifelong; the scheme replaced the older ElderShield, whose payouts were S$300 to S$400 (CPF Board, 2026). On top of that insurance floor, the Ministry of Health provides a means-tested long-term-care subsidy of up to 80% for Citizens (and 50% to 55% for Permanent Residents), tiered by per-capita household income, effective 1 October 2024 (MOH). For non-residential long-term care specifically, the subsidy reaches up to 80% for Citizens (55% for PRs) (MOH, 2024). Nursing-home gross fees are commonly cited in the range of about S$2,000 to S$4,500 per month, but this is an indicative range that varies by facility rather than a single official figure, so it should not be headlined as a fixed price. All Singapore figures are in SGD and are not converted to AUD or NZD.
New Zealand: an asset-tested subsidy that covers the shortfall (NZD)
New Zealand's model is asset-tested rather than insurance-based. The Residential Care Subsidy covers the gap between what a person can pay and the cost of their care once their assets fall below approximately NZ$142,048 for a single person, or about NZ$284,000 for a couple (Work and Income, MSD, 2025/26). The maximum weekly contribution a resident pays is region-based, ranging from NZ$1,406.27 to NZ$1,566.32 per week, though the exact current rate in our source is drawn via an aggregator and is flagged for verification against the official Te Whatu Ora schedule (Te Whatu Ora, 2024). Typical private rest-home fees are commonly described in the range of about NZ$1,200 to NZ$1,500 per week, but that is an indicative range, not an official figure. For home and community support, no single headline weekly fee is published in our verified set, so that part of the picture is left qualitative rather than given a number. New Zealand also has no age-related long-term-care insurance equivalent; ACC covers injury, not age-related care. Every figure here is in NZD.
What is genuinely comparable, and what is not
The most directly comparable cells across all three countries are the subsidy mechanics: Australia caps what pensioners contribute (0% clinical, 5% independence, 17.5% everyday); Singapore subsidises up to 80% for Citizens by income; and New Zealand pays the shortfall once assets fall below a threshold (~NZ$142,048 single). Those three describe the same idea, who pays and who is subsidised, in each system. The structural anchors are also clean: Australia's A$66.80/day daily fee, Singapore's S$689/month CareShield Life base, and New Zealand's asset thresholds are each Tier-1 official figures. What is not comparable is any attempt to put a single 'monthly cost of a nursing home' next to all three: the SG ~S$2,000-4,500/month and NZ ~NZ$1,200-1,500/week ranges are indicative and facility-dependent, and converting between currencies would manufacture false precision. The honest takeaway is that all three countries protect lower-income and lower-asset older people, but through three different levers, in three different currencies.
Comparability of each metric across the three countries
| Metric | How comparable | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Subsidy / contribution mechanics | Most comparable | All three are Tier-1 and describe who pays vs who is subsidised |
| Structural anchor figure | Comparable as anchors, not prices | A$66.80/day, S$689/month, ~NZ$142,048 threshold are different units in different currencies |
| Nursing-home gross monthly/weekly fee | Least comparable | SG ~S$2,000-4,500/mo and NZ ~NZ$1,200-1,500/wk are indicative ranges, vary by facility |
| Home / community care fee | Partly comparable | AU has Support at Home budgets (A$11,000-78,106/yr); NZ has no single published weekly fee |
Figures are in local currency and not FX-adjusted. Indicative gross-fee ranges are labelled as such and are never headlined as official prices.
Why the model matters more than the number
Because the three systems are funded so differently, the lived experience of paying for care also differs. In Australia, the cost a pensioner faces is predictable because it is pegged to the pension: A$66.80/day for residential care, with capped contributions for home care (Department of Health, 2026/2025). In Singapore, the burden depends on income and disability status: CareShield Life provides a S$689/month floor for severe disability, and subsidies scale up to 80% for lower-income Citizens (CPF Board, 2026; MOH, 2024). In New Zealand, the question is largely about assets: once they fall below ~NZ$142,048 for a single person, the Residential Care Subsidy steps in (Work and Income, 2025/26). One person might worry about income, another about savings, another about which facility they can afford. What none of these systems remove is the day-to-day question for someone ageing at home: if something goes wrong on an ordinary afternoon, how long before anyone notices? That gap exists regardless of which funding model a country uses, and it is far cheaper to close than any tier of formal care.
Why a daily check-in helps
Whatever the funding model, ageing at home is what most older people prefer, and a daily check-in is the universal low-cost safety layer that sits underneath all three systems. It does not replace residential care, home-care packages, CareShield Life or a care subsidy; it sits before them, closing the one gap none of them addresses, the time between something going wrong and someone noticing. ImAlive is free to start, with no monthly monitoring fee: one tap confirms you are OK each day, and if a check-in is missed, a chosen family member or friend is quietly notified. There is no GPS tracking and no hardware to buy. Against AUD residential fees, SGD-denominated long-term-care costs, or NZD rest-home weekly contributions, a free daily check-in is the most affordable form of peace of mind a family can put in place while someone continues to live independently at home.
Sources
- Australian Government Department of Health (My Aged Care) - Basic daily fee for residential aged care (A$66.80/day), 2026
- Australian Government Department of Health - Support at Home Program classifications and budgets (A$11,000-A$78,106/yr), 2025
- Australian Government Department of Health - Charging for Support at Home services: participant contributions (0% clinical / 5% independence / 17.5% everyday), 2025
- CPF Board (Singapore) - CareShield Life (base payout S$689/month, 2026)
- Ministry of Health Singapore - Up to 1.1 million Singapore residents to benefit from higher subsidies from 1 October 2024 (LTC subsidy up to 80% for Citizens)
- Work and Income (New Zealand, MSD) - Residential Care Subsidy asset thresholds (~NZ$142,048 single / ~NZ$284,000 couple), 2025/26
- Te Whatu Ora / Village Guide - Aged residential care maximum contribution (NZ$1,406.27-NZ$1,566.32/week, region-based; exact rate via aggregator - verify), 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does residential aged care cost in Australia?
The residential basic daily fee is A$66.80/day, roughly A$24,382 per year, and it is set at 85% of the single Age Pension (Department of Health, My Aged Care, 2026). This is in Australian dollars and is the standard contribution toward everyday living costs in residential care.
What is CareShield Life and how much does it pay in Singapore?
CareShield Life is Singapore's national long-term-care insurance scheme. In 2026 its base payout is S$689 per month for people with severe disability, and the payout is lifelong (CPF Board, 2026). It replaced the older ElderShield scheme, which paid S$300 to S$400.
When does New Zealand's Residential Care Subsidy start paying?
The Residential Care Subsidy covers the shortfall in care costs once a person's assets fall below approximately NZ$142,048 for a single person, or about NZ$284,000 for a couple (Work and Income, MSD, 2025/26). It is asset-tested, in New Zealand dollars.
Can you compare aged-care costs directly across Australia, Singapore and New Zealand?
Not directly. The three countries use structurally different funding models - Australia a pension-anchored daily fee, Singapore a lifelong insurance payout plus income-tested subsidy, New Zealand an asset-tested subsidy. The figures are also in three different currencies (AUD, SGD, NZD) and are not FX-adjusted, so they should be read side by side as different mechanisms rather than subtracted from one another.
How much does home care cost in Australia?
Australia's Support at Home program funds home care through eight classification budgets ranging from A$11,000 up to A$78,106 per year (Department of Health, 2025). A full pensioner pays 0% toward clinical care, 5% toward independence services and 17.5% toward everyday-living services (Department of Health, 2025).
How much does the Singapore government subsidise long-term care?
The Ministry of Health provides a means-tested long-term-care subsidy of up to 80% for Citizens (and 50% to 55% for Permanent Residents), tiered by per-capita household income, effective 1 October 2024 (MOH). For non-residential long-term care the subsidy reaches up to 80% for Citizens and 55% for PRs (MOH, 2024).
What is the maximum weekly contribution for residential care in New Zealand?
The maximum weekly contribution is region-based, ranging from NZ$1,406.27 to NZ$1,566.32 per week (Te Whatu Ora, 2024). The exact current rate in our source was drawn via an aggregator and should be verified against the official Te Whatu Ora schedule before relying on it.
Why don't you convert these prices into one currency?
Because converting between AUD, SGD and NZD would invent precision the source data does not have, and exchange rates date instantly. Each country's figures are kept in their native currency, and the page states throughout that figures are in local currency and not FX-adjusted.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Singapore?
Nursing-home gross fees are commonly cited in the range of about S$2,000 to S$4,500 per month, but this is an indicative range that varies by facility rather than a single official figure (MOH framework, 2024). It should not be treated as a fixed price.
Does New Zealand have long-term-care insurance like Singapore?
No. New Zealand has no age-related long-term-care insurance equivalent to Singapore's CareShield Life; ACC covers injury, not age-related care. Instead, New Zealand uses the asset-tested Residential Care Subsidy (Work and Income, 2025/26).
Which country's aged-care system is cheapest?
There is no clean answer, because the three systems are funded so differently and in different currencies. Australia anchors cost to the pension (A$66.80/day), Singapore scales subsidies by income with a S$689/month insurance floor, and New Zealand pays the shortfall once assets drop below ~NZ$142,048. Each protects lower-income or lower-asset older people, but through a different lever.
What do full pensioners pay for care in Australia?
Under the Support at Home program, a full pensioner pays 0% toward clinical care, 5% toward independence services and 17.5% toward everyday-living services (Department of Health, 2025). Clinical needs are fully subsidised while everyday support carries the largest personal share.
Is there a published weekly fee for home and community care in New Zealand?
No single headline weekly fee for home and community support services is published in our verified set (Te Whatu Ora). That part of the picture is left qualitative rather than given a specific number, to avoid quoting an unconfirmed figure.
How does a daily check-in app fit alongside these care costs?
A daily check-in sits before formal care, not in place of it. Whatever a country's funding model, ImAlive is free to start with no monthly monitoring fee: one tap confirms you are OK, and a missed check-in quietly notifies a chosen contact. It closes the gap between something going wrong and someone noticing - the one gap none of these funding systems addresses - with no GPS tracking and no hardware.
What is the cleanest official cost figure in each country?
Australia: the residential basic daily fee of A$66.80/day (Department of Health, 2026). Singapore: the CareShield Life base payout of S$689/month (CPF Board, 2026). New Zealand: the Residential Care Subsidy asset thresholds of ~NZ$142,048 single and ~NZ$284,000 couple (Work and Income, 2025/26). These are the Tier-1 anchors; gross facility-fee ranges are indicative only.
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