What eldercare really costs
Nursing homes, CareShield, dementia care. Here are the real numbers for Singapore, in plain figures. And the earlier you plan, the more of it you can control.
For most families, this starts suddenly. A parent's fall, a memory test that didn't go the way everyone hoped, a discharge planner asking how care will work at home.
You don't need every answer today. You need a clear picture. Here's one.
Start with the real costs and subsidies
The headline figures are frightening. The number you actually pay, after subsidy, is often a fraction of it. Here's what's real.
Nursing home costs & subsidies
What a nursing home really costs, and the means-tested subsidy of up to 75% for citizens.
Read the guideDementia care cost
What dementia care costs by setting, and the subsidy that can cut day care to as little as $99.
Read the guideHome Caregiving Grant
The monthly cash grant for families caring at home, who qualifies, and how to claim it.
Read the guideHome Caregiving Grant calculator
Enter your household income and size, see your monthly HCG amount instantly. Free, no sign-up.
Read the guideWhat actually moves your number
MOH publishes what a household pays when it qualifies for maximum support. What nobody publishes is what lifts you above that floor. These five things do.
Your household income band
Subsidy is means-tested on monthly per-capita household income. At $1,501–$2,300 PCHI a Singapore Citizen born in 1969 or earlier gets 65%; above $4,801 the subsidy is 0%. The same nursing home bill can differ by thousands between two families.
Source: MOH, effective 1 July 2026
Whether the disability test is met at all
CareShield Life pays on function, not diagnosis: someone must be unable to do 3 of 6 daily activities, certified by an MOH-accredited assessor. A parent with early dementia who can still wash and dress themselves may pay for care while receiving no payout.
Source: CPF / MOH
The care setting you choose
Community and day care sit far below residential care. MOH's illustrations put out-of-pocket at roughly $110 a month for community care against roughly $510 for a nursing home, for the same severe-disability household.
Source: MOH, August 2025
How far the condition has progressed
Costs climb steeply with severity. Median dementia care before subsidy runs $4,081.30 a month at the severe stage, against $3,169.55 across all stages.
Source: Dementia Singapore / Pureprofile, October 2025
The hours your family absorbs unpaid
Caregivers provide a median 217 hours a month of unpaid care, and 42% are out of the workforce. That is a real cost in time and forgone income. It is not a bill anyone sends you, and we never subtract it from a payout to manufacture a shortfall.
Source: Dementia Singapore / Pureprofile, October 2025
Figures are quoted from the sources named and were re-verified on 22 July 2026. Your own position may differ, and a licensed adviser can work it through with you.
What the national schemes pay
CareShield Life and ElderShield cover one layer. Knowing what you would actually pay, and whether a supplement is worth it, is where planning ahead pays off.
ElderShield vs CareShield Life
What each scheme pays in 2026, who's covered by birth year, and what a household is left paying after support.
Read the guideCareShield Life supplements
What a private supplement adds on top of the base payout, and when it's actually worth it.
Read the guideWhat fits depends on your parent's situation, or your own plans. A MAS-licensed adviser can walk you through it. No obligation.
Common questions about eldercare costs
Want a straight answer for your parent, or yourself?
Tell us a little about the situation and we'll connect you with a MAS-licensed adviser who works with eldercare planning. Takes about two minutes.
Talk to a licensed adviserNot ready for that? Get your plan in 3 taps insteadDisclaimer: This page provides general information for educational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. CareCompare.sg does not provide financial advisory services and is not licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). For personalised advice on insurance products or suitability, please consult a licensed financial adviser. CareCompare may earn a referral fee when connecting you with licensed advisers. This does not affect the premiums you pay.