Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Akita

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,213 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,493
/mo nomad
Akita
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,213
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Akita

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

A single person spends $3,493 per month in Singapore vs $1,213 in Akita, rent included.

  • Singapore $3,493
  • Akita $1,213

A couple spends around $5,174 per month in Singapore vs $1,904 in Akita, rent included.

  • Singapore $5,174
  • Akita $1,904

A family of three spends $6,855 per month in Singapore vs $2,596 in Akita, rent included.

  • Singapore $6,855
  • Akita $2,596

Singapore costs about 188% more than Akita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 158% above the global median, while Akita is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.74 SGD 15.02
$6.21 ¥981
89.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.3 SGD 95.1
$31.98 ¥5,052
132.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 SGD 11.21
$4.90 ¥775
78.78%
Cappuccino
$5.32 SGD 6.80
$3.54 ¥559
50.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 SGD 2.42
$0.99 ¥156
90.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 SGD 1.55
$0.81 ¥128
49.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.46 SGD 10.82
$1.93 ¥306
338.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.83 SGD 12.57
$3.12 ¥493
215.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.91 SGD 3.72
$1.52 ¥240
91.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 SGD 3.22
$1.59 ¥252
58.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$4.11 ¥650
-30.41%
Eggs
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$2.04 ¥323
78.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.88 SGD 26.71
$10.19 ¥1,610
104.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 SGD 12.69
$6.52 ¥1,031
52.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.77 SGD 32.98
$16.23 ¥2,565
58.78%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 SGD 6.02
$3.63 ¥573
29.48%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 SGD 3.94
$2.25 ¥355
36.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 SGD 6.06
$2.83 ¥448
67.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 SGD 2.80
$4.20 ¥663
-47.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$2.43 ¥384
5.76%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 SGD 2.97
$2.48 ¥392
-6.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$1.29 ¥204
44.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 SGD 1.78
$0.81 ¥127
71.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.80 SGD 17.66
$4.01 ¥634
244.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.29 SGD 29.81
$6.58 ¥1,039
253.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.77 SGD 6.10
$1.88 ¥296
153.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.69 SGD 6.00
$2.07 ¥327
126.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Akita
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 SGD 2.04
$1.51 ¥239
5.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.0 SGD 123
$54.0 ¥8,525
77.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.61 SGD 4.61
$3.19 ¥503
13.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 SGD 1.02
$2.79 ¥440
-71.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 SGD 21.28
$18.55 ¥2,931
-10.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.56 SGD 3.28
$1.31 ¥207
95.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$157.0K SGD 200.8K
$21.7K ¥3.4M
623.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$149.8K SGD 191.7K
$15.2K ¥2.4M
888.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$135 ¥21.3K
27.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.13 SGD 15.53
$24.50 ¥3,871
-50.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.02 SGD 35.86
$31.46 ¥4,971
-10.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$52.7 ¥8,332
104.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.24 SGD 15.67
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.03 SGD 15.39
$11.84 ¥1,870
1.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,473 SGD 1,885
$507 ¥80.1K
190.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.7K SGD 36.8K
$12.7K ¥2.0M
126.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.0 SGD 99.9
$41.47 ¥6,552
88.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9 SGD 65.1
$46.21 ¥7,301
10.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 SGD 139
$84.7 ¥13.4K
28.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 SGD 158
$88.0 ¥13.9K
39.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Akita
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,917 SGD 3,733
$526 ¥83.1K
454.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,161 SGD 2,765
$336 ¥53.1K
542.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,769 SGD 7,383
$1,089 ¥172.1K
429.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,849 SGD 4,925
$723 ¥114.1K
432.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.2K SGD 29.7K
$4,173 ¥659.3K
455.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.9K SGD 21.7K
$1,782 ¥281.5K
850.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Akita
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,547 SGD 5,818
$1,613 ¥254.9K
181.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
2.21
10.41%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Akita: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Akita
$336 84.4% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Akita
$285 37.7% $173
Eating Out
Singapore
$258
Akita
$130 49.7% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$212
Akita
$191 10.1% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$162
Akita
$117 27.8% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$132
Akita
$76 42.1% $56
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Akita
$77 29.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,917 in Singapore versus $526 in Akita. 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 182% 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 $74.0 in Singapore versus $32.00 in Akita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $285 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇯🇵 Akita
🕒 Local time
01:15 1:15 AM
02:15 2:15 AM
1 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
307,672
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Akita 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Akita

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
Singapore vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Singapore or Akita?
Singapore costs about 188% more than Akita, 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 Singapore and in Akita?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,240 per month in Singapore and $1,819 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Singapore or Akita?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Singapore compared to Akita?
Public transport costs about 78% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Singapore and in Akita?
Kindergarten costs $1,473 per month in Singapore and $507 in Akita. 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 Singapore or in Akita?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Singapore at $3,493. In Akita 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 Akita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Singapore compared to Akita?
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 Singapore or to Akita?
If budget matters most, go with Akita. 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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