Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Hamamatsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamamatsu: $775 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $32,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Hamamatsu
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Hamamatsu Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Hamamatsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Hamamatsu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $775 in Hamamatsu.

Singapore $3,500
Hamamatsu $775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,251 in Hamamatsu.

Singapore $5,265
Hamamatsu $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $1,727 in Hamamatsu.

Singapore $7,030
Hamamatsu $1,727

Living in Singapore is roughly 351% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Hamamatsu is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$3.86 ¥610

204.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$40.71 ¥6,432

73.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.07 ¥801

68.64%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.34 ¥528

55.69%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.04 ¥165

70.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.75 ¥118

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.49 ¥393

231.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.22 ¥508

215.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.01 ¥160

200.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.64 ¥260

55.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.65 ¥577

-21.64%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.60 ¥253

120.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.37 ¥1,638

103.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$5.92 ¥935

67.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$14.44 ¥2,282

76.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$5.69 ¥899

-19.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.80 ¥443

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.95 ¥467

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.14 ¥654

-46.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.63 ¥415

-2.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.54 ¥401

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.24 ¥196

50.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.65 ¥102

121.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.86 ¥610

261.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.19 ¥977

279.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.76 ¥278

157.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.11 ¥333

110.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$50.8 ¥8,017

84.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.21 ¥507

13.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.74 ¥433

-72.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$20.75 ¥3,278

-22.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.10 ¥173

122.73%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

640.03%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$18.1K ¥2.9M

722.73%

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

$172 SGD 220

$131 ¥20.7K

31.11%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$8.51 ¥1,345

45.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$32.52 ¥5,137

-19.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$16.81 ¥2,655

-26.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$12.81 ¥2,024

-9.13%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$643 ¥101.5K

130.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$14.9K ¥2.4M

89.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$61.5 ¥9,712

31.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$36.85 ¥5,822

35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$61.0 ¥9,639

83.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$102 ¥16.1K

26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$7,748 ¥1.2M

207.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,222 ¥825.0K

220.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,580 ¥249.7K

177.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

2.64

-7.58%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Hamamatsu

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Hamamatsu

$280 36.2% 38.7% $177

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Hamamatsu

$112 14.5% 56.1% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Hamamatsu

$172 22.2% 18.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Hamamatsu

$118 15.2% 29.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Hamamatsu

$26 * 3.3% 80.5% $106

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Hamamatsu

$68 * 8.7% 37% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

Singapore pays 177% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $41.00 in Hamamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $280 per month, with Hamamatsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Hamamatsu

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

797,033

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

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).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Hamamatsu 5,110 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Hamamatsu

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 Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Hamamatsu differ by about 351% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $775 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 177% higher in Singapore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $775 in Hamamatsu versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Hamamatsu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 351% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.