Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,259 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Fukuoka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,259
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Fukuoka

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,259 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Singapore $3,500
  • Fukuoka $1,259

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,001 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Singapore $5,265
  • Fukuoka $2,001

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,743 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Singapore $7,030
  • Fukuoka $2,743

Singapore costs about 178% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 SGD 15.05
$7.20 ¥1,138
63.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 SGD 90.4
$42.93 ¥6,783
64.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 SGD 10.94
$5.84 ¥922
46.40%
Cappuccino
$5.20 SGD 6.66
$3.77 ¥596
37.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SGD 2.27
$1.03 ¥163
71.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.70 ¥111
75.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.26 SGD 10.58
$3.79 ¥599
117.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.17 SGD 13.01
$2.18 ¥344
366.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.04 SGD 3.89
$1.54 ¥243
97.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 SGD 3.26
$1.91 ¥302
33.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$6.64 ¥1,050
-56.93%
Eggs
$3.53 SGD 4.51
$2.29 ¥362
54.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.12 SGD 27.02
$18.31 ¥2,893
15.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 SGD 12.67
$5.40 ¥853
83.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.42 SGD 32.53
$19.00 ¥3,002
33.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$3.54 ¥560
29.10%
Banana (1kg)
$3.13 SGD 4.00
$1.81 ¥287
72.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 SGD 6.04
$2.87 ¥453
64.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 SGD 2.85
$3.36 ¥531
-33.63%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$2.15 ¥340
19.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 SGD 2.93
$2.59 ¥409
-11.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 SGD 2.39
$1.02 ¥161
83.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SGD 1.84
$0.93 ¥147
54.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 SGD 17.88
$3.79 ¥599
268.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.48 SGD 30.05
$6.49 ¥1,025
261.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 SGD 5.80
$1.71 ¥270
165.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 SGD 5.68
$1.81 ¥286
145.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 SGD 2.01
$1.47 ¥232
6.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 SGD 120
$41.37 ¥6,537
126.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$3.91 ¥618
-6.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$2.09 ¥331
-63.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.14 SGD 20.66
$17.67 ¥2,792
-8.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 SGD 3.14
$1.11 ¥175
120.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
$21.5K ¥3.4M
620.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
$17.6K ¥2.8M
743.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$207 ¥32.8K
-17.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.86
$25.04 ¥3,955
-50.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.21 SGD 33.54
$32.65 ¥5,159
-19.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$53.8 ¥8,506
100.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.31 SGD 15.75
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.64 SGD 14.90
$10.91 ¥1,724
6.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,481 SGD 1,895
$126 ¥19.8K
1079.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
$12.4K ¥2.0M
128.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 SGD 103
$49.44 ¥7,811
62.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 SGD 64.1
$25.89 ¥4,090
93.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$67.1 ¥10.6K
66.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 SGD 165
$48.07 ¥7,594
168.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,015 SGD 3,858
$486 ¥76.8K
520.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 SGD 2,778
$303 ¥47.8K
617.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,842 SGD 7,475
$1,233 ¥194.8K
373.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,044 SGD 5,174
$730 ¥115.4K
453.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
$6,329 ¥1.0M
275.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
$2,696 ¥425.9K
521.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Fukuoka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,385 SGD 5,611
$1,657 ¥261.8K
164.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
1.97
23.86%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Fukuoka
$303 86.1% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Fukuoka
$318 30.5% $140
Eating Out
Singapore
$256
Fukuoka
$151 41.1% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Fukuoka
$265 26.1% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$167
Fukuoka
$86 48.7% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$131
Fukuoka
$76 42.4% $56
Getting Around
Singapore
$107
Fukuoka
$62 42.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $486 in Fukuoka. 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 165% 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 $43.00 in Fukuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $318 – making Fukuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇯🇵 Fukuoka
🕒 Local time
16:04 4:04 PM
17:04 5:04 PM
1 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
1,612,392
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 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 Fukuoka 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Singapore and in Fukuoka compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,259 in Fukuoka – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Fukuoka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $1,889 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Singapore and Fukuoka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Singapore and Fukuoka?
Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $126 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 44% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fukuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Fukuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Singapore and Fukuoka?
It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,259 in Fukuoka to $3,500 in Singapore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Singapore or Fukuoka safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Singapore and Fukuoka?
If budget matters most, go with Fukuoka. 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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