Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,228 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Gyeongju

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,228 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Gyeongju $1,228

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $1,988 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Gyeongju $1,988

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,748 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Gyeongju $2,748

Singapore costs about 185% more than Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Gyeongju is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.61 ₩10.1K

54.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$48.01 ₩63.8K

47.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.51 ₩8,653

31.34%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.02 ₩4,012

72.19%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.10 ₩1,457

60.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.35 ₩469

251.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.59 ₩3,442

218.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$4.34 ₩5,764

134.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.31 ₩3,073

31.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$2.47 ₩3,280

3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.13 ₩4,164

-8.63%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.60 ₩3,451

35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$11.06 ₩14.7K

90.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$10.33 ₩13.7K

-4.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$18.49 ₩24.6K

37.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$4.50 ₩5,985

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.57 ₩3,411

21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$3.82 ₩5,075

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$3.67 ₩4,879

-39.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.56 ₩3,398

0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.18 ₩2,897

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.19 ₩2,917

-14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.33 ₩1,766

8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.44 ₩4,571

306.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$14.77 ₩19.6K

58.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.14 ₩1,515

298.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.22 ₩2,949

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.06 ₩1,409

48.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.93 ₩3,895

24.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.79 ₩1,046

-3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$16.57 ₩22.0K

-2.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.02 ₩1,354

140.20%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$29.6K ₩39.3M

424.95%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$34.0K ₩45.2M

336.53%

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

$172 SGD 220

$80.6 ₩107.1K

112.97%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$36.83 ₩49.0K

-66.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$27.20 ₩36.2K

-3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$52.1 ₩69.3K

107.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$11.96 ₩15.9K

2.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.04 ₩14.7K

5.43%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$639 ₩849.8K

131.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$22.2K ₩29.5M

27.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$45.34 ₩60.3K

77.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$22.41 ₩29.8K

123.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$91.7 ₩121.9K

21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$128 ₩170.8K

0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$478 ₩635.9K

530.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$366 ₩486.7K

493.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,163 ₩1.5M

402.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$732 ₩972.7K

452.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$7,249 ₩9.6M

228.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,416 ₩7.2M

209.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,841 ₩2.4M

138.23%

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 Gyeongju: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Gyeongju

$366 29.8% 83.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Gyeongju

$359 29.2% 21.6% $99

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Gyeongju

$144 11.7% 43.7% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Gyeongju

$145 11.8% 31.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Gyeongju

$130 10.6% 22.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Gyeongju

$74 6% 43.5% $57

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9% 89.7% $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 $478 in Gyeongju. 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 138% 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 Gyeongju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $359 – making Gyeongju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

258,156

💱 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

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Between locations

Singapore Gyeongju 4,650 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Gyeongju

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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 185%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $1,843 in Gyeongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, 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 $1,228 in Gyeongju. That's a gap of about 185%.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $639 in Gyeongju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gyeongju, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Gyeongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gyeongju – 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 Gyeongju. 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.