Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,444 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Ilsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,444 in Ilsan.

Singapore $3,500
Ilsan $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $2,297 in Ilsan.

Singapore $5,265
Ilsan $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $3,151 in Ilsan.

Singapore $7,030
Ilsan $3,151

Living in Singapore is roughly 142% more expensive than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Ilsan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.30 ₩9,705

61.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$67.4 ₩89.6K

4.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$7.34 ₩9,763

16.49%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$4.01 ₩5,337

29.68%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.61 ₩2,139

9.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.77 ₩1,017

59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.79 ₩5,034

117.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$6.07 ₩8,070

67.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.08 ₩2,764

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.16 ₩4,198

-19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$2.23 ₩2,971

28.25%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$3.36 ₩4,466

5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$15.36 ₩20.4K

37.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$7.94 ₩10.6K

24.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$11.21 ₩14.9K

126.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$7.42 ₩9,860

-38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$3.25 ₩4,324

-3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$5.75 ₩7,649

-17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$6.08 ₩8,087

-63.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.51 ₩4,666

-26.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.37 ₩3,152

-3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.00 ₩2,657

-6.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.14 ₩1,520

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.41 ₩4,535

309.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$18.73 ₩24.9K

25.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.23 ₩2,960

103.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.35 ₩4,449

32.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.10 ₩1,462

42.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$49.42 ₩65.7K

89.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.64 ₩4,834

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.63 ₩833

20.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$9.18 ₩12.2K

75.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.42 ₩1,883

72.54%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$29.3K ₩39.0M

429.21%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$28.3K ₩37.6M

425.38%

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

$172 SGD 220

$213 ₩283.4K

-19.52%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$34.95 ₩46.5K

-64.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$20.52 ₩27.3K

27.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$52.0 ₩69.2K

107.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$11.82 ₩15.7K

4.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.30 ₩15.0K

3.01%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$520 ₩691.8K

184.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$17.6K ₩23.4M

61.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$57.0 ₩75.8K

41.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$32.76 ₩43.6K

52.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$69.9 ₩93.0K

59.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$83.0 ₩110.3K

55.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$482 ₩640.8K

525.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$365 ₩485.2K

494.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,166 ₩1.6M

401.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$738 ₩981.9K

447.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$7,213 ₩9.6M

229.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,518 ₩7.3M

203.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$3,453 ₩4.6M

27.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

4.1

-40.49%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Ilsan

$365 25.3% 83.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Ilsan

$396 27.5% 13.4% $61

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Ilsan

$169 11.7% 33.9% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Ilsan

$269 18.6% 27.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Ilsan

$109 7.6% 34.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Ilsan

$75 5.2% 43.2% $57

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 43.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $482 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 27% 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 $67.0 in Ilsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $396 per month, with Ilsan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,061,752

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Singapore Ilsan 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Ilsan

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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Singapore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $482 in Ilsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $1,444 in Ilsan – a 142% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 90% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,444 in Ilsan versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ilsan but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Ilsan 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 Ilsan 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 Ilsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.