Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Gongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,539 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
Learn more

Gongju Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Gongju

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,539 in Gongju, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Gongju $1,539

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,437 in Gongju, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Gongju $2,437

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $3,335 in Gongju, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Gongju $3,335

Singapore costs about 128% more than Gongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Singapore and Gongju sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Gongju by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.29 ₩9,697

61.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$48.03 ₩63.9K

47.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.54 ₩8,700

30.73%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.77 ₩5,015

37.93%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.85 ₩2,461

-4.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$1.44 ₩1,918

-14.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.84 ₩5,104

115.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$4.30 ₩5,721

136.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.26 ₩3,004

34.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.19 ₩4,246

-20.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.16 ₩4,197

-9.49%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.74 ₩3,641

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.89 ₩14.5K

93.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$10.47 ₩13.9K

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$24.73 ₩32.9K

2.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-59.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$3.61 ₩4,803

-13.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$8.27 ₩11.0K

-42.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$5.95 ₩7,908

-62.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$6.11 ₩8,120

-57.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.22 ₩4,283

-28.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.83 ₩3,766

-33.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.28 ₩1,704

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.28 ₩4,357

325.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$18.67 ₩24.8K

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.38 ₩3,166

90.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.53 ₩4,700

25.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.14 ₩1,513

37.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.67 ₩4,884

-0.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.73 ₩967

4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$17.08 ₩22.7K

-5.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.37 ₩1,819

78.83%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$29.5K ₩39.3M

425.38%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$33.3K ₩44.3M

345.64%

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

$172 SGD 220

$197 ₩262.1K

-12.97%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$36.42 ₩48.4K

-65.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$26.72 ₩35.5K

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$51.9 ₩69.0K

108.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$12.00 ₩16.0K

2.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.80 ₩15.7K

-1.36%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$624 ₩830.3K

137.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$21.6K ₩28.7M

31.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$104 ₩137.8K

-22.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$66.4 ₩88.3K

-24.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$94.7 ₩125.9K

18.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$127 ₩168.5K

1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$489 ₩650.1K

516.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$364 ₩484.6K

495.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,153 ₩1.5M

406.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$757 ₩1.0M

434.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$7,239 ₩9.6M

228.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,410 ₩7.2M

209.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,309 ₩1.7M

235.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

4.22

-42.18%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gongju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Gongju

$364 23.7% 83.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Gongju

$486 31.6% 6.2% $28

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Gongju

$164 10.7% 35.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Gongju

$260 16.9% 23.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Gongju

$176 11.5% 5.4% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Gongju

$75 4.9% 42.5% $56

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Gongju

$12 * 0.8% 89% $96

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $489 in Gongju. 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 235% 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 $48.00 in Gongju. Groceries tell a different story – $458 in Singapore vs $486 in Gongju – so Singapore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Gongju

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

110,428

💱 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 Gongju 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Gongju

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 Gongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,539 in Gongju – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $2,308 in Gongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,500 in Singapore and $1,539 in Gongju. That's a gap of about 128%.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $624 in Gongju. 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 Gongju, where all-in costs run around $1,539, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Gongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongju – 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 Gongju. 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.