Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kanazawa and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,304 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kanazawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,304
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,304 per month in Kanazawa vs $3,500 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Kanazawa $1,304
  • Singapore $3,500

A couple spends around $2,052 per month in Kanazawa vs $5,265 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Kanazawa $2,052
  • Singapore $5,265

A family of three spends $2,800 per month in Kanazawa vs $7,030 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Kanazawa $2,800
  • Singapore $7,030

Kanazawa is about 63% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kanazawa sits 3% below the global median, while Singapore is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.44 ¥1,175
$11.76 SGD 15.05
-36.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.25 ¥4,937
$70.6 SGD 90.4
-55.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.99 ¥788
$8.55 SGD 10.94
-41.64%
Cappuccino
$2.38 ¥377
$5.20 SGD 6.66
-54.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 ¥178
$1.77 SGD 2.27
-36.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥92.2
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-52.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.01 ¥318
$8.26 SGD 10.58
-75.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 ¥359
$10.17 SGD 13.01
-77.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ¥247
$3.04 SGD 3.89
-48.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 ¥210
$2.55 SGD 3.26
-47.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 ¥873
$2.86 SGD 3.66
93.01%
Eggs
$2.02 ¥320
$3.53 SGD 4.51
-42.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 ¥2,024
$21.12 SGD 27.02
-39.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.52 ¥1,505
$9.90 SGD 12.67
-3.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$32.49 ¥5,132
$25.42 SGD 32.53
27.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 ¥584
$4.57 SGD 5.85
-19.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.32 ¥366
$3.13 SGD 4.00
-25.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.14 ¥970
$4.72 SGD 6.04
30.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 ¥655
$2.23 SGD 2.85
86.10%
Potato (1kg)
$3.68 ¥582
$2.57 SGD 3.29
43.19%
Onion (1kg)
$3.43 ¥542
$2.29 SGD 2.93
49.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ¥202
$1.87 SGD 2.39
-31.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ¥151
$1.44 SGD 1.84
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.43 ¥542
$13.97 SGD 17.88
-75.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.96 ¥1,257
$23.48 SGD 30.05
-66.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥308
$4.54 SGD 5.80
-57.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 ¥240
$4.44 SGD 5.68
-65.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 ¥240
$1.57 SGD 2.01
-3.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.2 ¥8,568
$93.8 SGD 120
-42.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 ¥487
$3.64 SGD 4.66
-15.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.11 ¥491
$0.76 SGD 0.97
309.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.94 ¥4,257
$16.14 SGD 20.66
66.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 ¥167
$2.45 SGD 3.14
-57.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.1K ¥3.2M
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
-87.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.4K ¥2.6M
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
-88.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 ¥23.1K
$172 SGD 220
-14.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.56 ¥3,722
$12.39 SGD 15.86
90.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.65 ¥6,738
$26.21 SGD 33.54
62.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.05 ¥6,644
$108 SGD 138
-61.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$12.31 SGD 15.75
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 ¥1,812
$11.64 SGD 14.90
-1.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$318 ¥50.2K
$1,481 SGD 1,895
-78.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,093 ¥962.6K
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
-78.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.09 ¥7,756
$80.6 SGD 103
-39.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.98 ¥3,947
$50.1 SGD 64.1
-50.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.39 ¥7,329
$112 SGD 143
-58.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.3 ¥10.2K
$129 SGD 165
-50.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$454 ¥71.8K
$3,015 SGD 3,858
-84.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 ¥56.2K
$2,171 SGD 2,778
-83.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 ¥158.6K
$5,842 SGD 7,475
-82.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$767 ¥121.2K
$4,044 SGD 5,174
-81.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,757 ¥751.5K
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
-80.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,885 ¥297.9K
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
-88.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kanazawa
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,869 ¥295.3K
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-57.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.28
2.44
-6.56%

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

Last update for Kanazawa: October 13, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kanazawa
$384
Singapore
$458 19.3% $74
Accommodation & Living
Kanazawa
$356
Singapore
$2.2K 510% $1.8K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kanazawa
$213
Singapore
$210 1.1% $2.4
Eating Out
Kanazawa
$125
Singapore
$256 105% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Kanazawa
$83
Singapore
$167 101% $84
Getting Around
Kanazawa
$79
Singapore
$107 36.2% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Kanazawa
$65
Singapore
$131 102% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $454 in Kanazawa 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 135% 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 $31.00 in Kanazawa versus $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $458 – making Kanazawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kanazawa
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
23:03 11:03 PM
22:03 10:03 PM
1 h behind Kanazawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
465,699
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kanazawa Singapore 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kanazawa
  • 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
Kanazawa vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kanazawa and in Singapore compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,304 in Kanazawa, $3,500 in Singapore – roughly 169% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Kanazawa compared to Singapore?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,955 per month in Kanazawa and $5,251 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kanazawa and Singapore?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Kanazawa or Singapore?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,304 in Kanazawa and $3,500 in Singapore. That's a gap of about 169%.
How do commuting costs compare in Kanazawa and in Singapore?
Public transport costs about 73% less in Kanazawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,304, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Kanazawa or Singapore?
Families tend to lean toward Kanazawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Kanazawa or Singapore safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Kanazawa and Singapore?
If budget matters most, go with Kanazawa. 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.

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