In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Budget roughly S$1,300 to S$1,900 one-off for a business laptop, plus about S$150 to S$450 a year in software per person: email and Office (US$7 to US$22 a month on Microsoft 365, or from S$9.40 on Google Workspace), a password manager seat (from US$4) and endpoint security if needed.
The IT cost per new employee at a glance
Every new hire has the same building blocks. The table shows what each costs and whether it is one-off or recurring.
| Item | Typical price (October 2026) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Business Windows laptop | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 from S$1,302.07; E14 Gen 7 from S$1,466.83 (GST incl.) | One-off |
| MacBook | MacBook Neo from S$999; 13-inch MacBook Air from S$1,899 | One-off |
| Email and Office: Google Workspace | Business Starter S$9.40, Business Standard S$18.80 per user a month (flexible, excl. tax) | Monthly |
| Email and Office: Microsoft 365 | Basic US$7, Standard US$14, Premium US$22 per user a month (annual, excl. GST) | Monthly |
| Endpoint security | Included in Business Premium; Defender for Business US$3 per user a month alone | Monthly |
| Password manager | Bitwarden Teams US$4; 1Password Business US$8.99 per user a month | Monthly |
| Set-up time | 1 to 2 hours of IT time per laptop without automation | One-off |
Sources: Lenovo Singapore ThinkPad E series, Microsoft 365 Singapore plans, Google Workspace pricing, Defender for Business. Apple and password manager prices are from our dated Mac vs Windows and 1Password vs Bitwarden guides.
The laptop: buy business-grade, not the cheapest
Starting prices hide important differences. For a work laptop that lasts four years, check the specification rather than the headline price.
Business laptop checklist
A starting configuration may come with Windows Home or 8 GB of memory, which adds to the real price. Our Mac vs Windows guide covers the choice of platform.
Per-person software licences
Licences are the cost that repeats every month for as long as the person works for you, so choose the plan once and apply it consistently.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard + add-ons
About US$21 per user a month
- Desktop Office apps, email, Teams
- Add Defender for Business (US$3) for endpoint security
- Add a password manager (from US$4)
- No Intune device management
Best for: Small teams without managed devices.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium + password manager
Best value for securityAbout US$26 per user a month
- Includes Intune, Entra ID P1 and Defender for Business
- Add a password manager (from US$4)
- One licence covers most security needs
- Laptops can be encrypted and managed centrally
Best for: Businesses with company laptops and client data.
Google Workspace offices follow the same logic: Business Starter or Standard for email and files, plus a password manager and endpoint protection. Our business email cost guide compares all the plans.
Sample budget for one new hire
A typical office worker on Microsoft 365 Business Premium with a Windows laptop and Bitwarden. Prices before GST unless stated; USD converted roughly.
- Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 (starting configuration)One-off, GST includedS$1,466.83
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium, 12 monthsUS$22 x 12, annual planUS$264
- Bitwarden Teams seat, 12 monthsUS$4 x 12, billed yearlyUS$48
- Set-up and enrolmentLess with Autopilot and a template1 to 2 hours
First-year IT cost, before set-up timeAbout S$1,890 (laptop plus about US$312 in licences)
Approximate, as of October 2026. Excludes accessories, a work phone, paid apps and GST on licences.
Set-up time and the onboarding checklist
The hidden cost is time. Setting up a laptop by hand, installing apps, joining it to management, encrypting it and setting up MFA takes an hour or two, and rushed set-ups are where security gaps start.
Create the account before day one
Email, licence and group memberships, using a template so access matches the role.
Enrol the laptop into management
Autopilot or Apple Business with Intune or another MDM, so encryption, updates and security apply automatically.
Set up MFA and the password manager on day one
Sit with the new hire for ten minutes; it saves lockouts later.
Give access to shared files and systems
Through groups, not by sharing individual folders.
Record the laptop in your asset list
Serial number, assigned person and date, so leaving staff return the right device.
Our new employee IT onboarding checklist has the full list.
Do it yourself or get help?
For one hire a year, doing the set-up yourself with a checklist is reasonable. Once you hire several people a year, automated enrolment pays off: laptops ship straight to staff and set themselves up with your policies.
Our Device Encryption & Management package (S$490) sets up Intune or Apple Business enrolment, encryption and baseline policies so each new laptop is ready in minutes. Business Email Setup (S$249) sets up accounts, licences and templates correctly from the start.
Frequently asked questions
A business-grade Windows laptop starts at around S$1,300 to S$1,500 including GST; for example, Lenovo's Singapore store lists the ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 from S$1,466.83 as of October 2026. Apple lists the 13-inch MacBook Air from S$1,899. Check the starting configuration has Windows 11 Pro and enough memory.
Most office staff need an email and Office licence (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace), endpoint security, and a password manager seat. Microsoft 365 Business Premium combines Office, Intune device management and Defender for Business in one licence at US$22 per user a month on an annual plan, before GST.
If the person has a company laptop and handles client data, usually yes. Business Premium costs US$8 a month more than Business Standard, but includes Intune for encryption and updates, Entra ID P1 for Conditional Access, and Defender for Business, which costs US$3 a month on its own.
Manually, one to two hours per laptop plus account set-up. With Windows Autopilot or Apple Business and an MDM, the laptop can be shipped sealed and set itself up when the employee signs in, leaving only MFA, password manager and access checks on day one.
It saves the hardware cost but makes it harder to enforce encryption, updates and removal of company data when someone leaves. If you allow it, require a written BYOD policy, keep company data in managed apps, and use app protection policies rather than storing files locally.