Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Asahikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Asahikawa: $1,159 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $28,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Asahikawa
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Asahikawa Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Asahikawa

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 Asahikawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,159 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Asahikawa $1,159

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $1,832 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Asahikawa $1,832

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,506 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Asahikawa $2,506

Singapore costs about 202% more than Asahikawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Asahikawa is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$5.40 ¥853

117.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$35.56 ¥5,618

98.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.53 ¥873

54.61%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.94 ¥465

76.87%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.16 ¥184

52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.76 ¥120

61.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.86 ¥451

188.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.44 ¥544

195.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.61 ¥255

88.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.52 ¥240

67.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.77 ¥595

-24.14%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.06 ¥326

71.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$11.07 ¥1,749

90.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$5.98 ¥944

65.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$18.60 ¥2,938

36.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.45 ¥545

32.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.35 ¥372

33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.83 ¥448

66.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.73 ¥747

-52.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.28 ¥360

12.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.62 ¥413

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.15 ¥181

62.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.87 ¥138

65.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$4.46 ¥705

213.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$7.16 ¥1,130

227.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.76 ¥277

157.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.26 ¥358

96.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.29 ¥204

21.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$60.6 ¥9,570

54.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.36 ¥531

8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.74 ¥433

-72.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$17.41 ¥2,751

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.06 ¥168

131.13%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.9K ¥3.5M

607.13%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

1000.62%

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

$172 SGD 220

$117 ¥18.5K

46.54%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$25.69 ¥4,059

-51.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$27.71 ¥4,378

-5.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$49.78 ¥7,864

116.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$13.53 ¥2,138

-13.97%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$500 ¥79.0K

196.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$12.2K ¥1.9M

132.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$48.15 ¥7,607

67.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$33.48 ¥5,290

49.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$66.1 ¥10.4K

69.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$85.5 ¥13.5K

50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$453 ¥71.6K

564.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$306 ¥48.3K

610.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,104 ¥174.4K

429.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$640 ¥101.1K

531.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,448 ¥702.8K

434.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,801 ¥284.5K

830.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

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 13, 2026

Last update for Asahikawa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Asahikawa

$306 26.4% 85.9% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Asahikawa

$295 25.4% 35.6% $163

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Asahikawa

$124 10.7% 51.5% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Asahikawa

$170 14.7% 18.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Asahikawa

$105 9.1% 37.2% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Asahikawa

$77 6.6% 41.5% $54

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Asahikawa

$83 7.1% 23% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $453 in Asahikawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore versus $36.00 in Asahikawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $295 – making Asahikawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Asahikawa

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

329,306

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Asahikawa 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Asahikawa

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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,159 in Asahikawa – roughly 202% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $1,739 in Asahikawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 55% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $500 in Asahikawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Asahikawa, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Asahikawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asahikawa – 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 Asahikawa. 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.