Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Icheon: $1,595 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Icheon and in Singapore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Icheon and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Icheon vs $3,500 in Singapore, rent included.

Icheon $1,595
Singapore $3,500

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Icheon vs $5,265 in Singapore, rent included.

Icheon $2,043
Singapore $5,265

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Icheon vs $7,030 in Singapore, rent included.

Icheon $2,491
Singapore $7,030

Icheon is about 54% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Icheon and Singapore sit above the global median – Icheon by 18%, Singapore by 159%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ₩8,238

$11.76 SGD 15.05

-47.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.38 ₩64.3K

$70.6 SGD 90.4

-31.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₩8,804

$8.55 SGD 10.94

-22.57%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,924

$5.20 SGD 6.66

-28.85%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,774

$1.77 SGD 2.27

-24.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,553

$1.23 SGD 1.58

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₩5,052

$8.26 SGD 10.58

-54.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₩5,607

$10.17 SGD 13.01

-58.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ₩2,970

$3.04 SGD 3.89

-26.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₩4,346

$2.55 SGD 3.26

28.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,263

$2.86 SGD 3.66

12.24%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,650

$3.53 SGD 4.51

-22.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.6K

$21.12 SGD 27.02

-48.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₩14.0K

$9.90 SGD 12.67

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.36 ₩33.7K

$25.42 SGD 32.53

-0.24%

Apples (1kg)

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$4.57 SGD 5.85

147.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,731

$3.13 SGD 4.00

13.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.13 ₩10.8K

$4.72 SGD 6.04

72.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 ₩7,849

$2.23 SGD 2.85

164.57%

Potato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,043

$2.57 SGD 3.29

135.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,489

$2.29 SGD 2.93

47.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,647

$1.87 SGD 2.39

46.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,701

$1.44 SGD 1.84

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,378

$13.97 SGD 17.88

-76.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 ₩24.8K

$23.48 SGD 30.05

-20.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₩3,245

$4.54 SGD 5.80

-46.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ₩4,546

$4.44 SGD 5.68

-22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,466

$1.57 SGD 2.01

-29.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$3.64 SGD 4.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,028

$0.76 SGD 0.97

1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.77 ₩22.3K

$16.14 SGD 20.66

3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,821

$2.45 SGD 3.14

-44.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.9K ₩39.8M

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

-80.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K ₩44.4M

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

-77.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$200 ₩265.3K

$172 SGD 220

16.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.02 ₩47.9K

$12.39 SGD 15.86

190.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.2K

$26.21 SGD 33.54

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.45 ₩29.8K

$108 SGD 138

-79.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 ₩15.0K

$11.64 SGD 14.90

-3.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$642 ₩853.2K

$1,481 SGD 1,895

-56.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.4M

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

-22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩141.3K

$80.6 SGD 103

31.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩87.1K

$50.1 SGD 64.1

30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩124.8K

$112 SGD 143

-16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.6K

$129 SGD 165

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₩994.5K

$3,015 SGD 3,858

-75.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₩609.7K

$2,171 SGD 2,778

-78.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,317 ₩3.1M

$4,385 SGD 5,611

-47.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

2.44

59.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Icheon

$488 30.6%

Singapore

$458 13.1% 6.2% $30

Accommodation & Living

Icheon

$459 28.8%

Singapore

$2.2K 62% 373% $1.7K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Icheon

$263 16.5%

Singapore

$210 6% 20% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Icheon

$178 11.1%

Singapore

$167 4.8% 5.9% $10

Eating Out

Icheon

$151 9.5%

Singapore

$256 7.3% 69.1% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Icheon

$45 2.8%

Singapore

$131 3.8% 192% $86

Getting Around

Icheon

$12 * 0.8%

Singapore

$107 3.1% 802% $96

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Icheon versus $3,015 in Singapore. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 89% higher in Singapore, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Icheon versus $71.0 in Singapore. Groceries tell a different story – $488 in Icheon vs $458 in Singapore – so Singapore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Icheon

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h behind Icheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,059

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Icheon Singapore 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Icheon
Singapore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Icheon vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,393 per month in Icheon and $5,251 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Icheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Icheon and $71.0 in Singapore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Singapore – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Icheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Icheon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Icheon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.