CCTV for a Small Shop: Singapore vs UK vs Australia (2026 Cost Guide)
1. What the hardware actually costs
Prices below are read live from the DIGIBAL SHOPLINE product API on 2026-10-27. HKD is the base price; the other three columns are converted at the ECB reference rate for the same date, so you can compare against local quotes.
Conversion: ECB reference rates 2026-10-27 — SGD 0.16332, GBP 0.09565, AUD 0.18128 per HKD. Local retail prices include local tax and distributor margin, so expect local quotes to sit above these converted figures.
2. Singapore
Who may install
For HDB shophouse units and most commercial premises, installation work that involves running cabling through common property needs approval from the Town Council or MCST before work starts — not after. Filing after the fact is the single most common reason installations get ordered removed.
What the law says about the footage
PDPA applies to any shop that records identifiable individuals. In practice that means: a visible notice at the entrance, a stated retention period, a named person responsible for access, and no recording of areas where privacy is expected. Footage is also discoverable — if you cannot say how long you keep it and who can see it, that is the exposure.
Licensing
Singapore licenses security agencies and their deployed officers under the Private Security Industry Act. If you engage a third party to install and monitor, check the agency's licence before signing; an unlicensed operator puts the client's own compliance position at risk.
3. United Kingdom
No installer licence — but stricter paperwork
The UK does not license CCTV installers. That is not permission to skip process: UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply the moment your camera captures a public area, and the ICO expects a documented lawful basis, a retention schedule, and a DPIA for larger systems.
Signage is mandatory in practice
Domestic systems that stay within your boundary are largely exempt. Once a camera looks at a neighbour's property or the public footpath, you are processing personal data and must signpost it. This is where most small-shop installs fail an audit.
Equipment marking
Mains-powered equipment sold in Great Britain needs UKCA marking (CE is still recognised in some contexts but UKCA is the durable position). Buying a HK-spec unit and shipping it in means you become the importer — and the importer carries that obligation.
4. Australia
State-by-state, not federal
There is no single national CCTV statute. Workplace surveillance acts in NSW and the ACT, listening-device rules in Victoria, and general privacy principles federally all touch the same install depending on where the shop is and whether it records audio. Audio recording is the trap: several states treat it far more strictly than video.
Electrical and product compliance
Equipment must carry RCM marking. Plug type is Type I — the only physical difference from Singapore and the UK, which both use Type G. Voltage is 230V in all three, so a Type G unit works electrically in Australia with a physical adapter, but compliance marking is a separate question from whether it powers on.
5. The comparison that matters
Buy the kit: three builds, live prices
Prices below are read live from our product database. Kit totals are the sum of the live component prices, so the arithmetic matches what you see.
- Reolink NVS8-NHD 8 PoE Network Video Recorder 1,178
- (each, x4) Reolink P330 800 PoE Network Camera 749
Every PoE camera we stock
- Reolink P324 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 429
- Reolink P320 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 569
- Reolink P330 800 PoE Network Camera 749
- Reolink P334 800 PoE Network Camera 729
- Reolink P337 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 850
- Reolink P340 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 980
- Reolink CX410 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 799
- Reolink CX810 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 1,099
- Reolink Duo 2V PoE 800 PoE Network Camera 1,299
- Reolink Duo 3 PoE Network Camera|HK Official 1,799
- Reolink TrackMix PoE Network Camera|HK Official 1,499
- Reolink E1 Outdoor SE PoE Network Camera|HK Official 899
- EZVIZ H4 POE 3MP Smart Camera 399
- EZVIZ H5 POE 3MP Smart Camera 399
- EZVIZ H8C POE 3MP Smart Camera 399
NVRs
- Reolink NVS4-4-Channel PoE NVR PoENetwork Video Recorder 830
- Reolink NVS8-NHD 8 PoE Network Video Recorder 1,178
- EZVIZ X5S-R100-8W NVR Smart 499
Surveillance-grade hard drive not included (2-4TB recommended). Kit totals exclude installation, cable and the drive. A model with no price shown is currently off the shelf. For cabling and storage maths, read the PoE CCTV guide.
6. Buying the hardware
| Item | Qty | Price (HKD) |
|---|---|---|
| Reolink NVS4 4-channel PoE NVR (built-in PoE ports) | 1 | 830 |
| Reolink P320 5MP PoE camera | 4 | 569 each |
| Surveillance HDD, 2-4TB | 1 | not included |
| Kit total | 3,106 |
All four models above ship from our Hong Kong warehouse. Prices are charged in HKD; your card issuer converts. Warranty is provided by the Hong Kong distributor — read the warranty note before ordering from outside Hong Kong, because that is the part most overseas buyers get wrong.
Related: CCTV cost for a small shop in Singapore · PDPA notice requirements · Reolink full range