Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Daegu

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Daegu

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,569 in Daegu, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Daegu $1,569

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,402 in Daegu, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Daegu $2,402

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $3,235 in Daegu, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Daegu $3,235

Singapore costs about 123% more than Daegu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Singapore and Daegu sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Daegu by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$9.29 ₩12.3K

26.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$37.12 ₩49.4K

90.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.67 ₩7,536

50.79%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.97 ₩5,284

30.98%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.56 ₩2,075

13.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.90 ₩1,202

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.82 ₩5,082

116.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$5.42 ₩7,204

87.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.38 ₩3,161

27.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$4.49 ₩5,976

-43.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$2.66 ₩3,541

7.52%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.72 ₩3,619

29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.30 ₩13.7K

105.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$7.44 ₩9,888

33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$20.76 ₩27.6K

22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$6.59 ₩8,762

-30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.69 ₩3,577

16.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$5.72 ₩7,599

-17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$5.96 ₩7,921

-62.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.65 ₩3,518

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.06 ₩2,735

11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$4.35 ₩5,789

-57.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.37 ₩1,825

5.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$2.88 ₩3,832

385.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$14.91 ₩19.8K

57.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.14 ₩2,848

112.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.49 ₩3,317

78.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.11 ₩1,473

41.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$76.4 ₩101.5K

22.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.14 ₩4,172

15.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.61 ₩811

24.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$8.02 ₩10.7K

101.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.33 ₩1,775

84.21%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$28.5K ₩37.9M

444.25%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$41.5K ₩55.1M

258.24%

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

$172 SGD 220

$280 ₩371.6K

-38.62%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$50.5 ₩67.1K

-75.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$47.09 ₩62.6K

-44.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$51.0 ₩67.8K

111.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$11.89 ₩15.8K

3.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.26 ₩15.0K

3.37%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$531 ₩706.4K

178.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$27.9K ₩37.1M

1.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$56.3 ₩74.8K

43.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$50.3 ₩66.9K

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$96.0 ₩127.7K

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$164 ₩218.5K

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$408 ₩542.1K

639.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$273 ₩363.6K

693.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,044 ₩1.4M

459.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$607 ₩806.7K

566.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$7,125 ₩9.5M

233.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,559 ₩7.4M

201.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$2,478 ₩3.3M

76.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.07

-51.87%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Daegu

$273 17.4% 87.4% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Daegu

$414 26.4% 9.6% $44

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Daegu

$179 11.4% 30.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Daegu

$377 24% 79.4% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Daegu

$165 10.5% 1.2% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Daegu

$73 4.7% 44% $58

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Daegu

$87 5.5% 19.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $408 in Daegu. 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 77% 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 $71.0 in Singapore versus $37.00 in Daegu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $414 – making Daegu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Daegu

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

2,528,933

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Daegu 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Daegu

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 Daegu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,569 in Daegu – roughly 123% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $2,353 in Daegu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daegu, 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 $71.0 in Singapore and $37.00 in Daegu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,500 in Singapore and $1,569 in Daegu. That's a gap of about 123%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Daegu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Daegu – 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 Daegu. 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.