Monthly Car Rental Singapore from S$50/Day vs Daily & Lease

Monthly car rental in Singapore sits between paying by the day and signing a lease of a year or more. This blog will walk you through what a monthly booking costs by car category, the point where it beats daily hire, when a lease makes more sense, and how to get the cheapest monthly rate.

What Monthly Car Rental Means in Singapore

Monthly car rental is a hire of 30 days or more, charged at a lower per day rate than a daily booking. The package is the same as on a short hire: insurance, road tax, unlimited mileage, breakdown service and full maintenance are all included. What changes is the price per day.

It sits between two other structures. Daily and weekly short term car rental suits needs of a few days to a few weeks. A car lease suits needs of a year or more and usually commits you to a fixed term. Monthly rental covers the gap between them, which is where many expats, project staff and drivers between cars sit.

Monthly Car Rental Rates by Category

Our published starting rates show how much the monthly structure saves. The 30 day figures below multiply the monthly per day rate by 30.

The compact category covers cars such as the Toyota Vios, Corolla Axio and Corolla Altis. Full size and SUV covers the Toyota Camry, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota Fortuner. For families, our 7 seater and MPV rates list the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Estima and Hyundai Trajet. Exact rates depend on the model, so check our current rates or ask for a quote for your dates.

Monthly Versus Daily Versus Lease

The number that matters is the cost per day across the whole hire, not the headline rate. Laid out side by side, the figures show why a monthly booking is the most affordable car rental in Singapore for needs of one to three months.

When Daily Rental Wins

For short needs, pay by the day. A compact car at S70adaycostsS1,050 for 15 days, well under the S$1,500 a 30 day monthly booking costs. The break even point sits at about 21 days. Beyond that, 30 days at the monthly rate costs less than paying the daily rate, even if you do not use every day.

The break even comes sooner for larger cars, because their monthly discount is deeper. A 30 day SUV booking at S1,800coststhesameas15daysattheS120 daily rate. For an MPV, S$1,950 matches about 16 days of daily hire.

When Monthly Rental Wins

Monthly rental is the default for needs of one to three months, and it still works for longer stretches when the end date is uncertain. You keep the flexibility of a rental, with no long contract to break if plans change.

When Leasing Beats Monthly Rental

If you know you need a car for a year or more, long term car leasing brings the cost per day down further and gives you a car on a fixed contract. The trade is commitment, since ending a lease early carries costs. Our guide on choosing between long term and short term car rental walks through that decision.

Renting Monthly Versus Owning

The Certificate of Entitlement, or COE, gives a car the right to be on Singapore roads for ten years, as explained on LTA’s OneMotoring COE page. Category A closed at S$133,009 in the first September 2026 bidding exercise, per the LTA COE bidding results on data.gov.sg. Spread across ten years, that is about S$1,108 a month for the COE alone, before the car, registration fees, insurance, road tax and servicing.

A compact car on a monthly rental costs about S$1,500 for 30 days with insurance and road tax included. For any need shorter than a year, renting avoids a six figure upfront cost.

Who Books Monthly Car Rental

Expats in Their First Months

A new arrival needs a car for school runs and the commute before deciding where the family will live, and before committing to a two year lease or a purchase. Two or three months of monthly rental covers the house hunt and the move.

Project Staff and Contractors

A posting of six weeks to three months, such as a project in Jurong, a site role in Tuas or a consulting engagement at Changi Business Park, does not justify a lease. Paying daily rates for that long costs more than it needs to.

Drivers Between Cars

A Singaporean whose COE has expired and who is still deciding between renewal and a new car, or a household waiting for a new car to be delivered after a COE bid, needs a car for weeks or months. Monthly rental covers the gap without a long commitment.

Visitors on Longer Stays

Family members visiting for four to eight weeks get more value from a monthly booking than from daily hire. Every driver must be at least 24 with two years of driving experience. Under the Singapore Police Force licence rules, visitors staying under 12 months need an IDP from their home country or an official English translation of their licence, unless it was issued in an ASEAN country. Our car rental guide for tourists covers the rest.

What the Monthly Package Includes

Unlimited mileage is standard on every hire, including monthly bookings and Malaysia trips. That matters over a month of long commutes or regular Causeway runs, where a mileage cap would add up quickly.

Full mechanical maintenance, 24 hour breakdown and towing are included. If the car cannot be driven, we deliver a replacement vehicle to your location so the rental carries on.

A refundable S$200 deposit applies, returned when the car comes back in good condition. Payment is by cash, PayNow, PayLah! or bank transfer when the car is delivered, and corporate customers can pay by cheque.

For Malaysia, our cross border terms name saloons and MPVs, cleared as far as Kuala Lumpur with a surcharge from S$50 per day on the days the car is in Malaysia. Confirm any other category with our team first. Our car rental to Malaysia page covers the full terms.

What to Confirm Before You Book

Ask for these points in writing before you pay the deposit:

• The total for the month and the per day rate it works out to.
• What happens if you return the car early or need to extend.
• Whether you will cross into Malaysia, and on which days.
• Who else will drive, since every named driver must meet the age and licence rules.

At handover, walk around the car with our staff and photograph any existing marks. Over a month of use, an early record matters more than on a short hire. Our rental car collection checklist covers what to check.

Getting the Cheapest Monthly Rate

Three things bring the monthly cost down.

Commit to a longer period. A monthly booking cuts the daily cost of a compact car from S70toS50, and a lease of a year or more brings it down further.

Pick the smallest car that fits. On a monthly rate, a compact car from S50perdaycostsS450 less over 30 days than an MPV from S$65. Our saloon car rental range covers most commutes and school runs for four people.

Book outside school holidays and long weekends. SUVs and MPVs run short in those periods, and booking early or off peak gets you the car and price you want rather than whatever is left.

FAQs About Monthly Car Rental

How much does monthly car rental cost in Singapore?

Our monthly rates start from S50perdayforcompactcarsandstationwagons,aboutS1,500 for 30 days. Full size cars and SUVs start from S60perdayandMPVsfromS65. Insurance, road tax, unlimited mileage, breakdown service and maintenance are included, with a refundable S$200 deposit.

Is monthly car rental cheaper than daily rental?

Yes, once you need the car for more than about three weeks. A compact car costs S70adayonadailybookingandfromS50 a day on a monthly rate. For SUVs and MPVs the monthly rate is close to half the daily rate, so the saving starts sooner.

Should I rent monthly or lease a car in Singapore?

Rent monthly for one to three months, or longer if your end date is uncertain. Lease if you need a car for a year or more and know it. A lease lowers the cost per day further, but ending it early carries costs.

Can expats rent a car monthly in Singapore?

Yes. Many expats rent monthly for their first two or three months while they settle in. Drivers must be at least 24 with two years of experience. After 12 months of residence, a foreign licence must be converted to a Singapore licence.

Is there a mileage limit on monthly car rental?

No. Unlimited mileage is included on every hire at Singapore Car Rental, including monthly bookings and trips into Malaysia. That keeps the monthly cost fixed even with long commutes or regular Causeway runs.

Can I drive a monthly rental car to Malaysia?

Yes, in a saloon or MPV, as far as Kuala Lumpur. A surcharge from S$50 per day applies only on the days the car is in Malaysia, and there is no mileage limit. Confirm Malaysia use when you book.