Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Ichikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichikawa: $1,167 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $28,000 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
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Ichikawa Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Ichikawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,167 in Ichikawa.

Singapore $3,500
Ichikawa $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,876 in Ichikawa.

Singapore $5,265
Ichikawa $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,585 in Ichikawa.

Singapore $7,030
Ichikawa $2,585

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Ichikawa is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$5.13 ¥811

129.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$31.09 ¥4,912

127.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$4.30 ¥680

98.84%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.23 ¥352

133.18%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.72 ¥113

145.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.35 ¥55.7

251.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.50 ¥395

230.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.18 ¥502

219.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.38 ¥218

120.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.65 ¥261

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.66 ¥578

-21.86%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.97 ¥311

79.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.53 ¥1,663

100.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$5.86 ¥926

68.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$14.38 ¥2,272

76.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$5.53 ¥874

-17.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.80 ¥442

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.81 ¥444

67.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.26 ¥673

-47.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.61 ¥413

-1.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.56 ¥404

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.28 ¥202

46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.75 ¥118

92.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.73 ¥590

274.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.38 ¥1,007

268.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.78 ¥281

155.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.02 ¥320

119.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.35 ¥213

16.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$59.9 ¥9,457

56.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.13 ¥494

16.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.73 ¥432

-72.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$20.59 ¥3,253

-21.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.05 ¥166

133.33%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.2K ¥3.4M

631.57%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

701.56%

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

$172 SGD 220

$132 ¥20.8K

30.12%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$23.97 ¥3,788

-48.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$31.98 ¥5,052

-18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$47.04 ¥7,431

129.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$12.80 ¥2,022

-9.06%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$642 ¥101.4K

130.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$14.6K ¥2.3M

94.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$62.0 ¥9,801

29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$37.27 ¥5,889

34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$60.5 ¥9,559

84.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$102 ¥16.1K

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$495 ¥78.3K

508.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$317 ¥50.1K

585.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,186 ¥187.3K

392.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$763 ¥120.5K

430.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,455 ¥703.9K

433.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,881 ¥297.2K

790.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

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 Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Ichikawa

$317 27.1% 85.4% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Ichikawa

$287 24.6% 37.4% $171

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Ichikawa

$104 8.9% 59.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Ichikawa

$188 16.1% 10.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Ichikawa

$118 10.1% 29.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Ichikawa

$73 6.2% 44.7% $59

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Ichikawa

$82 7% 23.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $495 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $31.00 in Ichikawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $287 per month, with Ichikawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

06:12 6:12 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

496,676

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Singapore Ichikawa 5,340 km ≈ 7 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 Ichikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Ichikawa differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $1,167 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,751 in Ichikawa 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $495 in Ichikawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa 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.