Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Icheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Icheon: $1,595 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Icheon

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,595 in Icheon, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Icheon $1,595

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,043 in Icheon, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Icheon $2,043

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,491 in Icheon, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Icheon $2,491

Singapore costs about 119% more than Icheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Singapore and Icheon sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Icheon by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.20 ₩8,238

89.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$48.38 ₩64.3K

45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.62 ₩8,804

29.15%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.70 ₩4,924

40.54%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.33 ₩1,774

33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$1.17 ₩1,553

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.80 ₩5,052

117.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$4.22 ₩5,607

141.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.23 ₩2,970

36.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.27 ₩4,346

-22.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.21 ₩4,263

-10.90%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.74 ₩3,650

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.97 ₩14.6K

92.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$10.56 ₩14.0K

-6.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$25.36 ₩33.7K

0.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$11.33 ₩15.1K

-59.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$3.56 ₩4,731

-12.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$8.13 ₩10.8K

-41.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$5.90 ₩7,849

-62.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$6.05 ₩8,043

-57.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.38 ₩4,489

-32.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.74 ₩3,647

-31.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.28 ₩1,701

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.29 ₩4,378

324.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$18.65 ₩24.8K

25.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.44 ₩3,245

86.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.42 ₩4,546

29.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.10 ₩1,466

42.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.64 ₩4,836

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.77 ₩1,028

-1.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$16.77 ₩22.3K

-3.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.37 ₩1,821

78.83%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$29.9K ₩39.8M

418.44%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$33.4K ₩44.4M

344.69%

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

$172 SGD 220

$200 ₩265.3K

-14.02%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$36.02 ₩47.9K

-65.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$27.21 ₩36.2K

-3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$22.45 ₩29.8K

381.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.28 ₩15.0K

3.19%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$642 ₩853.2K

130.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$22.1K ₩29.4M

28.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$106 ₩141.3K

-24.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$65.5 ₩87.1K

-23.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$93.9 ₩124.8K

19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$129 ₩171.6K

-0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$748 ₩994.5K

303.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$459 ₩609.7K

373.34%

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$2,317 ₩3.1M

89.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

3.9

-37.44%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Icheon

$459 28.8% 78.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Icheon

$488 30.6% 6.7% $30

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Icheon

$151 9.5% 40.9% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Icheon

$263 16.5% 25% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Icheon

$178 11.1% 6.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Icheon

$45 2.8% 65.7% $86

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Icheon

$12 * 0.8% 88.9% $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 $748 in Icheon. 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 89% 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 Icheon. Groceries tell a different story – $458 in Singapore vs $488 in Icheon – so Singapore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Icheon

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

03:33 3:33 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

213,059

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Singapore Icheon 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
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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 Icheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 119%, 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 $2,393 in Icheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $48.00 in Icheon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Singapore – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Icheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Icheon – 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 Icheon. 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.