Total cost of hiring a maid in Singapore includes the monthly salary agreed in the contract (it varies with experience and duties), the monthly foreign worker levy (MOM publishes the normal and concessionary rates), 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. Ministry of Manpower (MOM) publishes live levy rules on mom.gov.sg. Get current figures from MOM and a written EA quotation.
SmartMaid.com.sg is a maid search platform for biodata. Licensed EAs quote and place.
Neighbouring hubs:
- FDW levy monthly guide
- Security bond overview
- First-time hire guide
- SmartMaid vs agency
- 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 (Maid Levy Singapore | FDW Levy What Employers Pay)
- Agency professional fees — placement/service terms in the EA agreement
- Insurance / security bond — required cover themes (Security Bond for MDWs: Purpose and How Employers Comply)
- 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 (Standard Employment Contract for MDWs: Key Clauses to Read)
- Ignore chat-group screenshots of “market rates”
What changes the total
- Transfer vs overseas-new pathway (Transfer Maid vs New Hire Singapore: Which Fits You?)
- 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.
MOM reminder
Confirm live levy and employment rules on mom.gov.sg. Emergency: 995 / 999.
Checklist
- Separate salary / levy / agency / insurance lines
- MOM levy page checked
- Written EA quote in hand
- Contract salary clause read
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 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.
New to the process? Read how to hire a maid in Singapore, then browse biodata and enquire with the licensed agency on each listing. SmartMaid lets you compare biodata from licensed agencies in one place.
Last reviewed: August 2026. Employment rules change — confirm current requirements on mom.gov.sg.
