Budget Calculator (Singapore) — 50/30/20
Allocate your take-home pay across needs, wants and savings using the 50/30/20 rule, applied after CPF in the Singapore context.
Open the free calculator →What you'll need
- Gross monthly income and age (for CPF)
- Fixed needs (housing, transport, food)
- Discretionary wants
- Savings and debt repayment targets
How it works
The 50/30/20 rule suggests 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings/debt. In Singapore, apply the ratios to take-home pay after CPF, since CPF is already pre-allocated savings.
Current Singapore rules
| Category | Share of take-home |
|---|---|
| Needs | 50% |
| Wants | 30% |
| Savings / debt repayment | 20% |
Worked example
Take-home pay of $4,000 splits into roughly $2,000 needs, $1,200 wants and $800 savings/debt. Adjust the ratios to your situation.
Important assumptions
- Employee CPF rate is 20% below age 55, on wages up to the $8,000 monthly ceiling
- Ratios are a starting guide, not a rule
- Bonuses/variable income simplified
Cases not fully modelled:
- Detailed expense categorisation
- Irregular annual costs
- Household-level pooling of income
Official sources and verification
- MoneySense (MAS) — national financial education programme
- CPF Board — How much CPF contributions to pay
Direct links to the relevant official pages. Rules and rates change; last checked 21 June 2026. Always confirm against the official source.
Open the free calculator →Frequently asked questions
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
A budgeting guideline: 50% of take-home pay for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings or debt repayment.
Is CPF counted in the budget?
Apply the ratios to take-home pay after CPF; CPF is treated as savings already set aside.
What's the CPF wage ceiling?
From 2026 the Ordinary Wage ceiling is $8,000/month; the employee contribution rate is 20% below age 55.