Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,399 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,399

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,399 per month in Okinawa vs $3,454 in Singapore, rent included.

Okinawa $1,399
Singapore $3,454

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Okinawa vs $5,224 in Singapore, rent included.

Okinawa $2,189
Singapore $5,224

A family of three spends $2,979 per month in Okinawa vs $6,994 in Singapore, rent included.

Okinawa $2,979
Singapore $6,994

Okinawa is about 59% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Okinawa and Singapore sit above the global median – Okinawa by 4%, Singapore by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ¥1,603

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-12.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.78 ¥6,295

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-44.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,114

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-19.63%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ¥675

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-18.86%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥158

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ¥318

$8.42 SGD 10.78

-76.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ¥720

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-54.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥259

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-44.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ¥341

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-12.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 ¥607

$2.71 SGD 3.47

41.70%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥277

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-53.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.94 ¥2,839

$21.54 SGD 27.57

-16.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ¥771

$9.52 SGD 12.19

-48.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.16 ¥3,507

$25.98 SGD 33.26

-14.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥573

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 ¥417

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ¥338

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-53.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 ¥820

$2.23 SGD 2.86

132.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 ¥381

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-3.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥408

$2.38 SGD 3.05

8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ¥208

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥117

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-50.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥631

$14.18 SGD 18.15

-71.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 ¥1,016

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-73.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥295

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥505

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-30.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥233

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-6.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 ¥10.6K

$96.4 SGD 123

-30.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 ¥628

$3.63 SGD 4.65

9.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 ¥564

$0.80 SGD 1.02

345.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.44 ¥1,810

$16.18 SGD 20.71

-29.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-56.57%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-86.37%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

-89.43%

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

$162 ¥25.6K

$175 SGD 224

-7.47%

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

$24.91 ¥3,943

$12.45 SGD 15.94

100.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ¥8,513

$26.64 SGD 34.10

101.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 ¥11.3K

$112 SGD 143

-36.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,689

$12.07 SGD 15.45

354.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 ¥1,927

$11.60 SGD 14.85

4.91%

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

$329 ¥52.1K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-77.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 ¥876.3K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-80.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ¥7,923

$81.5 SGD 104

-38.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.29 ¥3,685

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-53.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥12.5K

$112 SGD 143

-29.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥15.0K

$130 SGD 166

-27.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 ¥63.9K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-86.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.9K

$2,128 SGD 2,724

-84.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 ¥130.6K

$5,654 SGD 7,239

-85.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥105.0K

$3,968 SGD 5,080

-83.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,594 ¥1.4M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-63.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,206 ¥190.8K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-92.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,849 ¥292.6K

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-57.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.44

-8.61%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$328 23.8%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 39.3% $129

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$328 23.8%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 548% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 11% $27

Eating Out

Okinawa

$182 13.2%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 40.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$111 8%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 51.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$96 6.9%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 40.8% $39

Getting Around

Okinawa

$95 6.9%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 16.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Okinawa versus $2,916 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 136% 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 $40.00 in Okinawa versus $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $457 – making Okinawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

1 h behind Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Okinawa Singapore 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
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

Okinawa vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 147%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,098 per month in Okinawa and $5,180 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, 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 $40.00 in Okinawa and $71.0 in Singapore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,399 in Okinawa and $3,454 in Singapore. That's a gap of about 147%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Okinawa, where all-in costs run around $1,399, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Okinawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Okinawa – 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 Okinawa. 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.