CPF LIFE Payout Calculator

Author: Henrick Yau

- 13 August 2026

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Estimates the monthly CPF LIFE payout from the amount you set aside in your Retirement Account at 55, against the three published Retirement Sum tiers.

For members who turn 55 in 2026 the Basic Retirement Sum is S$110,200 and the Full Retirement Sum is S$220,400; the current Enhanced Retirement Sum is S$440,800. The CPF Board estimates monthly payouts from age 65 of S$950, S$1,780 and S$3,440 at those three amounts, on the Standard Plan and a CPF interest rate of 4%.

Your Retirement Account

Amount set aside in your Retirement Account at 55:

Age you start payouts:

CPF LIFE plan:

Show the Escalating Plan after how many years:

Rates and limits (you can change these)

Basic Retirement Sum:

Full Retirement Sum:

Enhanced Retirement Sum:

Published payout at the Basic Retirement Sum:

Published payout at the Full Retirement Sum:

Published payout at the Enhanced Retirement Sum:

Increase for each year payouts are deferred (%):

Escalating Plan increase each year (%):

Your estimated CPF LIFE payouts

Estimated monthly payout

S$0

Over a year

S$0

Where you stand

–

To reach the next sum

S$0

Escalating Plan, later

S$0

Step-by-step working

Item	Amount

The CPF Board publishes payout estimates only at the three named Retirement Sums, on the Standard Plan and a CPF interest rate of 4%. Anything between them here is a straight-line interpolation between those published points, and nothing is extrapolated above the Enhanced Retirement Sum. A real CPF LIFE premium depends on your exact age and sex and on the prevailing annuity assumptions. Use the CPF Board’s own Retirement Payout Planner for your own figure.

What CPF LIFE will pay you

CPF LIFE pays a monthly income for as long as you live. What it pays depends almost entirely on one number: how much sits in your Retirement Account when you turn 55. That account is created on your 55th birthday out of your Special and Ordinary Account savings.

For members turning 55 in 2026 the Basic Retirement Sum is SGD 110,200 and the Full Retirement Sum is SGD 220,400. The Enhanced Retirement Sum, the most you may top up to, is SGD 440,800. The CPF Board estimates monthly payouts from age 65 of about SGD 950, SGD 1,780 and SGD 3,440 at those three amounts, on the Standard Plan and assuming a CPF interest rate of 4%.

How the payout is arrived at

At 55 your Retirement Account is created and your savings are moved into it.
What you set aside determines your tier. The Full Retirement Sum is twice the Basic Retirement Sum, and the Enhanced Retirement Sum is twice the Full.
If you own property you may set aside only the Basic Retirement Sum in cash and pledge the property for the rest, taking the difference out.
From 55 you may top up towards the Enhanced Retirement Sum for a larger payout.
At the payout eligibility age of 65 the payouts begin, unless you choose to defer.

The choice most people get wrong: when to start

Payouts do not have to start at 65. Every year you defer raises them by up to 7%, so waiting until 70 raises them by up to 35% for the rest of your life. That is a substantial, guaranteed increase, and it is available to anyone who can live on something else for a few years.

The other decision is the plan. The Standard Plan pays a level amount for life. The Escalating Plan starts lower but grows by 2% every year, so it protects against prices rising over a long retirement. Neither is right for everyone: the Escalating Plan rewards a long life, the Standard Plan rewards needing more money early.

Why your own payout will differ

The CPF Board publishes estimates only at the three named Retirement Sums. Anything between them here is worked out by interpolating between those published points, and nothing at all is projected above the Enhanced Retirement Sum, because there is no published figure above it to extrapolate from.

A real premium depends on your exact age, your sex and the annuity assumptions in force when you join, none of which a table can capture. Interest also keeps accruing on your Retirement Account between 55 and 65, so the balance that actually buys your annuity is larger than the amount you set aside — this calculator deliberately does not assume a rate of growth for you. The retirement sums themselves rise each year too: a member turning 55 in 2025 faced a Basic Retirement Sum of SGD 106,500, and the Enhanced Retirement Sum rises to SGD 456,400 the year after this one.

Common questions

Am I automatically in CPF LIFE? You are included automatically if you are a citizen or Permanent Resident with at least SGD 60,000 in your retirement savings when your payouts start. If not, you can join yourself any time from 65 up to a month before you turn 80.

Can I take everything out at 55? No. You can withdraw what is left after setting aside your Full Retirement Sum, or after setting aside the Basic Retirement Sum if you pledge a property. If you cannot set aside the full amount you may still take out a small lump sum.

Does topping up my Retirement Account help? Yes, and it is the only lever that is fully in your control. Topping up to a higher sum raises the monthly payout permanently, and cash top-ups may attract tax relief.

What happens to the money if I die early? Whatever premium has not been paid out goes to your beneficiaries, along with any remaining CPF savings. Nothing is forfeited.

Retirement sums and payout estimates are published by the CPF Board each January. Use the CPF Board's own Retirement Payout Planner for a figure specific to you.