Total cost of hiring a maid in Singapore includes monthly salary (often $600–$800+ depending on experience), the monthly foreign worker levy ($300 normal / $60 concession), insurance and security bond, agency fees, and one-off costs such as medical checks and travel. Exact amounts depend on your agency and helper profile — biodata on SmartMaid shows indicative ranges only. Confirm final figures with your agency and check current levy rates on mom.gov.sg.
There isn’t one magic number — there’s a cost stack
Maid salary and total cost in Singapore is usually several lines: monthly salary, foreign worker levy, agency professional fees, insurance/bond, and settling extras. Soft Ministry of Manpower (MOM) publishes live levy rules on mom.gov.sg. This page does not invent salary, levy, or fee dollar amounts — get current figures from MOM and a written EA quotation.
SmartMaid.com.sg is a marketplace for biodata. Licensed EAs quote and place. Platform ≠ agency.
Neighbouring hubs:
- FDW levy monthly guide (unique #87)
- Security bond overview (unique #70)
- First-time hire guide (unique #84)
- SmartMaid vs agency (unique #82)
- This article: how to think about total cost without fake numbers
Cost stack (lines, not figures)
- Salary — agreed in the employment contract; paid to the helper
- Levy — MOM charge while Work Pass is valid (#87)
- Agency professional fees — placement/service terms in the EA agreement
- Insurance / security bond — required cover themes (#70)
- Settling extras — medical, transport, starter items (case-by-case)
Keep lines separate so co-employers don’t mix “salary” with “everything.”
How to get real numbers safely
- Read live MOM levy pages
- Ask two licensed EAs for written quotes for the same brief
- Read contract salary clauses before signing (#69)
- Ignore chat-group screenshots of “market rates”
What changes the total
- Transfer vs overseas-new pathway (#83)
- Experience and duty load (infant nights vs light housework)
- Replacement/guarantee terms in the EA service agreement
- Concessionary levy eligibility if any (confirm on MOM — no rates here)
SmartMaid’s role in costing
Use SmartMaid to shortlist biodata and compare agencies. Fee and salary talks happen with the listing EA — not as invented site widgets.
Soft MOM reminder
Confirm live levy and employment rules on mom.gov.sg. Marketplace ≠ agency. Emergency: 995 / 999.
Checklist
- Separate salary / levy / agency / insurance lines
- MOM levy page checked
- Written EA quote in hand
- Contract salary clause read
- No invented $ shared publicly
- Platform ≠ agency
Scripts
To EA: Please send a written total-cost breakdown for our [transfer/overseas] hire — salary as contracted, levy per current MOM, your professional fees, and insurance/bond items. We won’t use informal market numbers.
To co-employer: We’ll budget from MOM + EA documents only, then decide.
Bottom line
Maid salary and total cost in Singapore means stacking real lines from soft MOM and licensed EA quotes — not chasing one rumoured figure. Browse helpers on SmartMaid; finalise money through proper agency paperwork.
Related employer guides: FDW levy · salary and total cost · Work Permit checklist.
Last reviewed: August 2026. Employment rules change — confirm current requirements on mom.gov.sg.
