How much $$ exactly does it cost to have kids? How much money should one prepare to set aside? If there's a range, that'll be great!

As always, it depends on how much you want to provide for the kids. How much you splurging for comfort, what brands and how sparingly you use. Do try to source hand-downs, you may not even need to buy any clothing. Buy milk/diapers in bulk. Milk powder can be as low as $100/6 tins/3 mth, Diaper $0.30/pc or $2/day. If you have family to help care the kids great - free, if not infantcare is the one unavoidable cost of maybe $400-$800 (depending subsidies). Assuming just looking at the short term of first 2 years, $10k is enough. Medical delivery govt can be $5K, newborn prep - $1-2k.

Speaking from experience on some of the basic items:

• maternity packages (public hospitals) with checkup and delivery (~$6k), can covered fully with baby bonus grant
• milk + daipers (buy during shopee/lazada sales only) (~$450 per month)
• basic neccesities like clothes, toys and misc (~$100 per month)
• childcare under gov subsidies (~$450 per month for working mom)
• integrated hospitalization insurance with rider (~$80 per month)
• endowment/investments for education fees (~$300 per month)