Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,165 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,493
/mo nomad
Fukushima
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,165
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Fukushima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,493 in Singapore versus $1,165 in Fukushima.

  • Singapore $3,493
  • Fukushima $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,174 in Singapore versus $1,826 in Fukushima.

  • Singapore $5,174
  • Fukushima $1,826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,855 in Singapore versus $2,487 in Fukushima.

  • Singapore $6,855
  • Fukushima $2,487

Living in Singapore is roughly 200% more expensive than in Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Fukushima is 14% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.74 SGD 15.02
$5.89 ¥930
99.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.3 SGD 95.1
$29.92 ¥4,727
148.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 SGD 11.21
$4.45 ¥703
96.85%
Cappuccino
$5.32 SGD 6.80
$2.55 ¥404
108.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 SGD 2.42
$0.94 ¥148
101.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 SGD 1.55
$0.67 ¥106
80.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.46 SGD 10.82
$2.61 ¥412
224.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.83 SGD 12.57
$3.12 ¥493
215.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.91 SGD 3.72
$1.47 ¥232
97.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 SGD 3.22
$1.55 ¥244
62.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$4.08 ¥645
-29.90%
Eggs
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$2.08 ¥328
75.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.88 SGD 26.71
$10.38 ¥1,639
101.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 SGD 12.69
$6.69 ¥1,057
48.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.77 SGD 32.98
$16.64 ¥2,629
54.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 SGD 6.02
$3.77 ¥596
24.67%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 SGD 3.94
$2.26 ¥357
36.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 SGD 6.06
$2.80 ¥443
69.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 SGD 2.80
$4.07 ¥642
-46.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$2.48 ¥391
3.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 SGD 2.97
$2.57 ¥406
-9.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$1.29 ¥205
44.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 SGD 1.78
$0.84 ¥132
65.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.80 SGD 17.66
$3.89 ¥615
254.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.29 SGD 29.81
$6.82 ¥1,077
241.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.77 SGD 6.10
$1.84 ¥291
159.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.69 SGD 6.00
$2.13 ¥337
120.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 SGD 2.04
$1.49 ¥235
7.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.0 SGD 123
$48.19 ¥7,613
99.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.61 SGD 4.61
$3.18 ¥502
13.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 SGD 1.02
$2.69 ¥425
-70.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 SGD 21.28
$21.15 ¥3,342
-21.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.56 SGD 3.28
$1.02 ¥161
150.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$157.0K SGD 200.8K
$20.2K ¥3.2M
678.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$149.8K SGD 191.7K
$15.6K ¥2.5M
861.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$126 ¥19.9K
36.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.13 SGD 15.53
$21.15 ¥3,342
-42.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.02 SGD 35.86
$30.04 ¥4,746
-6.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$51.6 ¥8,154
109.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.24 SGD 15.67
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.03 SGD 15.39
$11.70 ¥1,849
2.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,473 SGD 1,885
$453 ¥71.6K
225.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.7K SGD 36.8K
$11.4K ¥1.8M
152.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.0 SGD 99.9
$46.93 ¥7,414
66.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9 SGD 65.1
$36.00 ¥5,688
41.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 SGD 139
$64.6 ¥10.2K
68.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 SGD 158
$84.5 ¥13.3K
45.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,917 SGD 3,733
$535 ¥84.5K
445.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,161 SGD 2,765
$333 ¥52.5K
549.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,769 SGD 7,383
$1,018 ¥160.9K
466.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,849 SGD 4,925
$705 ¥111.4K
446.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.2K SGD 29.7K
$3,897 ¥615.6K
494.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.9K SGD 21.7K
$1,857 ¥293.4K
811.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Fukushima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,547 SGD 5,818
-
-
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 Fukushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Fukushima
$333 84.6% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Fukushima
$288 37.1% $170
Eating Out
Singapore
$258
Fukushima
$117 54.8% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$212
Fukushima
$177 16.3% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$162
Fukushima
$104 35.7% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$132
Fukushima
$75 43.2% $57
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Fukushima
$71 35.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,917 in Singapore and $535 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Singapore vs $30.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $288 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇯🇵 Fukushima
🕒 Local time
06:59 6:59 AM
07:59 7:59 AM
1 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
282,693
💱 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 Fukushima 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Fukushima

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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fukushima cheaper than Singapore?
Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 200% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $5,240 in Singapore and $1,748 in Fukushima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Singapore and Fukushima?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,917 in Singapore versus $535 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Singapore and in Fukushima?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Singapore or in Fukushima?
Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $74.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Singapore or in Fukushima?
At $1,165 in Fukushima versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Singapore or in Fukushima?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Singapore or Fukushima?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Fukushima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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