Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karawang and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $453 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Karawang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$453
/mo nomad
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $453 per month in Karawang vs $3,500 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Karawang $453
  • Singapore $3,500

A couple spends around $821 per month in Karawang vs $5,265 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Karawang $821
  • Singapore $5,265

A family of three spends $1,188 per month in Karawang vs $7,030 in Singapore, rent included.

  • Karawang $1,188
  • Singapore $7,030

Karawang is about 87% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Karawang sits 66% below the global median, while Singapore is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.36 Rp 24.5K
$11.76 SGD 15.05
-88.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.11 Rp 200.0K
$70.6 SGD 90.4
-84.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.43 Rp 61.7K
$8.55 SGD 10.94
-59.88%
Cappuccino
$1.52 Rp 27.3K
$5.20 SGD 6.66
-70.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 Rp 7,379
$1.77 SGD 2.27
-76.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 Rp 3,668
$1.23 SGD 1.58
-83.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 Rp 55.6K
$8.26 SGD 10.58
-62.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 Rp 55.8K
$10.17 SGD 13.01
-69.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Rp 20.4K
$3.04 SGD 3.89
-62.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 Rp 18.3K
$2.55 SGD 3.26
-60.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
$2.86 SGD 3.66
-71.33%
Eggs
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
$3.53 SGD 4.51
-60.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.75 Rp 49.4K
$21.12 SGD 27.02
-86.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.93 Rp 52.8K
$9.90 SGD 12.67
-70.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.01 Rp 144.2K
$25.42 SGD 32.53
-68.49%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
$4.57 SGD 5.85
-60.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 Rp 18.6K
$3.13 SGD 4.00
-66.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.25 Rp 22.4K
$4.72 SGD 6.04
-73.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.52 Rp 9,404
$2.23 SGD 2.85
-76.68%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
$2.57 SGD 3.29
-65.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$2.29 SGD 2.93
-34.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 Rp 12.6K
$1.87 SGD 2.39
-62.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 Rp 7,926
$1.44 SGD 1.84
-69.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$13.97 SGD 17.88
-81.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.50 Rp 405.0K
$23.48 SGD 30.05
-4.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 Rp 32.9K
$4.54 SGD 5.80
-59.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$4.44 SGD 5.68
-27.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.59 Rp 10.6K
$1.57 SGD 2.01
-62.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$93.8 SGD 120
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 Rp 15.6K
$3.64 SGD 4.66
-76.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.51 Rp 9,216
$0.76 SGD 0.97
-32.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 Rp 20.4K
$16.14 SGD 20.66
-92.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 Rp 16.5K
$2.45 SGD 3.14
-62.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K Rp 387.0M
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
-86.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K Rp 514.5M
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
-80.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$34.09 Rp 613.6K
$172 SGD 220
-80.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.43 Rp 79.7K
$12.39 SGD 15.86
-64.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.32 Rp 221.7K
$26.21 SGD 33.54
-53.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.52 Rp 369.4K
$108 SGD 138
-81.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.33 Rp 150.0K
$12.31 SGD 15.75
-32.33%
Cinema Ticket
$2.87 Rp 51.7K
$11.64 SGD 14.90
-75.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$43.73 Rp 787.2K
$1,481 SGD 1,895
-97.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,398 Rp 151.2M
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
-70.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.72 Rp 301.0K
$80.6 SGD 103
-79.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.84 Rp 501.2K
$50.1 SGD 64.1
-44.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$49.09 Rp 883.6K
$112 SGD 143
-56.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.42 Rp 871.6K
$129 SGD 165
-62.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$141 Rp 2.5M
$3,015 SGD 3,858
-95.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$68.4 Rp 1.2M
$2,171 SGD 2,778
-96.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$535 Rp 9.6M
$5,842 SGD 7,475
-90.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$369 Rp 6.6M
$4,044 SGD 5,174
-90.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,178 Rp 21.2M
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
-95.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$717 Rp 12.9M
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
-95.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karawang
Singapore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$412 Rp 7.4M
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-90.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.38
2.44
366.39%

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

Last update for Karawang: 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
Karawang
$175
Singapore
$458 162% $283
Accommodation & Living
Karawang
$68
Singapore
$2.2K 3074% $2.1K
Clothing & Footwear
Karawang
$64
Singapore
$167 161% $103
Eating Out
Karawang
$64
Singapore
$256 303% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karawang
$51
Singapore
$210 313% $159
Sport & Entertainment
Karawang
$26
Singapore
$131 400% $105
Getting Around
Karawang
$5.8 *
Singapore
$107 1756% $102

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $141 in Karawang 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 965% 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 $11.00 in Karawang versus $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $458 – making Karawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Karawang
🇸🇬 Singapore
🕒 Local time
16:34 4:34 PM
17:34 5:34 PM
1 h ahead of Karawang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
273,472
5,535,002 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Karawang Singapore 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Karawang
  • 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
Karawang vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Karawang or Singapore?
Singapore costs about 672% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Karawang and in Singapore?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $680 per month in Karawang and $5,251 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Karawang or Singapore?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karawang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Karawang compared to Singapore?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $453 in Karawang and $3,500 in Singapore. That's a gap of about 672%.
How do childcare costs compare in Karawang and in Singapore?
Kindergarten costs $43.73 per month in Karawang and $1,481 in Singapore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Karawang or in Singapore?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karawang, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Karawang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Karawang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Karawang compared to Singapore?
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.
Should I move to Karawang or to Singapore?
If budget matters most, go with Karawang. 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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