What if I'm having a baby?
What if I'm having a baby in Singapore: $203 – $5,635 in a subsidised ward (Ward C), based on MOH Bill Size Benchmarks. Average hospital stay: 2.3 days.
Pregnancy and delivery costs including normal vaginal delivery, C-section, and complications.
Hospital bill by ward class
- Ward C (Subsidised · 8-9 beds): $203 – $5,635
- Ward B2 (Subsidised · 6 beds): $372 – $4,024
- Ward B1 (Non-subsidised): $961 – $9,649
- Private (Single room): $1,552 – $21,453
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, January–December 2023. Costs are after government subsidies but before MediShield Life or private insurance.
Treatment options
- Normal vaginal delivery: $1,078 – $1,757 (Ward C)
- Complicated vaginal delivery (twins/breech/instrumental): $1,491 – $2,686 (Ward C)
- Uncomplicated C-section: $2,237 – $4,698 (Ward C)
- Complicated C-section: $2,520 – $5,635 (Ward C)
- C-section with tubal ligation: $2,067 – $3,626 (Ward C)
- Antenatal admission: $595 – $1,477 (Ward C)
- Postpartum complications: $782 – $1,504 (Ward C)
- Miscarriage / abortion management: $203 – $2,163 (Ward C)
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What if I'm having a baby?
1:23 AM
Your water breaks. Not a slow trickle — a rush.
This is happening now.
This is happening now.
You're in the car, timing contractions. Your partner runs every amber light.
3
minutes between contractions by the time you arrive
Delivery suite. Monitors strapped on. A midwife checks your progress.
Most deliveries are vaginal. If complications arise — foetal distress, prolonged labour — a Caesarean section may be performed.
About 1 in 3 births in Singapore are delivered by C-section
A few days in hospital, then home with a baby.
Then the bill arrives.
Then the bill arrives.
Treatment breakdown
It depends on the treatment
What they do determines the bill. Tap to see costs by ward class.
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
Normal vaginal delivery
$1,078 – $1,757
Ward C
Ward C$1,078 – $1,757
Ward B2$994 – $1,757
Ward B1$4,037 – $5,183
Private$7,915 – $12,547
Complicated vaginal delivery (twins/breech/instrumental)
$1,491 – $2,686
Ward C
Ward C$1,491 – $2,686
Ward B2$1,468 – $3,098
Ward B1$4,691 – $6,032
Private$9,224 – $13,262
Uncomplicated C-section
$2,237 – $4,698
Ward C
Ward C$2,237 – $4,698
Ward B2$1,966 – $3,656
Ward B1$7,405 – $9,649
Private$13,722 – $18,563
Complicated C-section
$2,520 – $5,635
Ward C
Ward C$2,520 – $5,635
Ward B2$1,895 – $4,024
Ward B1$7,219 – $9,231
Private$14,331 – $21,453
C-section with tubal ligation
$2,067 – $3,626
Ward C
Ward C$2,067 – $3,626
Ward B2$1,489 – $2,835
Ward B1$7,932 – $9,447
Private$12,712 – $20,233
Antenatal admission
$595 – $1,477
Ward C
Ward C$595 – $1,477
Ward B2$501 – $1,166
Ward B1$1,308 – $2,728
Private$1,552 – $6,139
Postpartum complications
$782 – $1,504
Ward C
Ward C$782 – $1,504
Ward B2$562 – $1,408
Ward B1$2,377 – $3,475
Private$3,617 – $8,191
Miscarriage / abortion management
$203 – $2,163
Ward C
Ward C$203 – $2,163
Ward B2$372 – $1,605
Ward B1$961 – $5,582
Private$1,824 – $10,882
Your hospital bill
$0
Ward C (subsidised) · worst case · after subsidies, before insurance
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
But what does this actually mean for your wallet?
The bottom line
For this scenario, you need at least
$5,635
in cash. That's after government subsidies but before any insurance kicks in.
Your ward, your bill
Subsidised · 8-9 beds · After subsidies, before insurance
~3 months
of HDB mortgage
~18%
of avg Medisave
~1.1 months
of median salary
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks · Data period: Jan–Dec 2023 · Compiled by Keith Teo
Make it personal
What does this mean for you?
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$
Ward class matters
Where you stay changes everything
Same condition. The ward determines the bill.
Source: MOH Bill Size Benchmarks, Jan–Dec 2023
Ward C · Subsidised · 8-9 beds
$203 – $5,635
Ward B2 · Subsidised · 6 beds
$372 – $4,024
Ward B1 · Non-subsidised
$961 – $9,649
No more subsidies below
Private · Single room
$1,552 – $21,453
up to 4x Ward C
Insurance impact
What insurance actually does
Ward C bill. The bar shows how much you still pay.
$203 – $5,635
No insurance. You pay the full bill out of pocket or Medisave.
Good to know
Average Medisave balance ($31,000) covers this 6x in Ward C
Beyond the hospital bill
These costs are just the hospital stay
After discharge, expect ongoing costs that for many patients exceed the initial bill.
Postnatal or post-op careSpecialist reviewsOngoing medicationUltrasound follow-upsCounselling
And these costs keep rising. Healthcare costs are up 12% since 2020, outpacing general inflation.
If the worst happens
When someone dies in Singapore,
banks freeze every account.
Your family can't withdraw a single dollar until the legal process is complete. Most Singaporeans aren't prepared.
56%
of Singaporean adults don't have a will
40%
of under-65s have no CPF nomination
With a will
2-6 months to settle. Funeral, lawyer, and court fees combined.
~S$6,400
No will
6-12+ months to settle. Legal fees alone are S$10K-$20K. Contested estates reach S$93,000+.
S$10K–$93K+
While your family waits, mortgage payments, insurance premiums, and utility bills keep coming out of their own pockets.
What to do now
5 things to check today
1
Plan your maternity costs
Delivery packages vary enormously between hospitals. Compare fees and check what your insurance covers.
2
Use your Baby Bonus
MediSave grants and the Baby Bonus scheme offset a significant portion of maternity and early childhood medical costs.
3
Check what your insurance actually covers
Log into CPF, go to My Healthcare, check MediShield Life or ISP coverage. Look for your ward class limit and claim caps.
4
Know your Medisave withdrawal limits
Your Medisave balance doesn't mean that amount is available for one bill. There are per-day and per-procedure caps.
5
Write a will and make a CPF nomination
A simple will starts from S$99. CPF nomination is free at cpf.gov.sg. Without these, your family faces months of legal process and S$10K+ in fees.