Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Karawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $453 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,600 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Karawang
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Karawang Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Karawang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Karawang

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $453 in Karawang, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Karawang $453

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $821 in Karawang, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Karawang $821

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $1,188 in Karawang, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Karawang $1,188

Singapore costs about 672% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Karawang is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

764.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$11.11 Rp 200.0K

535.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$3.43 Rp 61.7K

149.27%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

242.11%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.41 Rp 7,379

331.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.20 Rp 3,668

515.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

167.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.10 Rp 55.8K

228.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

169.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

248.78%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

150.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

668.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$2.93 Rp 52.8K

237.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$8.01 Rp 144.2K

217.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

151.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

200.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

277.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$0.52 Rp 9,404

328.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

188.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

167.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.44 Rp 7,926

227.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

427.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$22.50 Rp 405.0K

4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

148.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

37.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

166.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

318.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.51 Rp 9,216

49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

1315.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$0.91 Rp 16.5K

169.23%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.5K Rp 387.0M

621.58%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$28.6K Rp 514.5M

419.55%

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

$172 SGD 220

$34.09 Rp 613.6K

403.23%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$4.43 Rp 79.7K

179.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$12.32 Rp 221.7K

112.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$20.52 Rp 369.4K

426.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$8.33 Rp 150.0K

47.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

305.57%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$43.73 Rp 787.2K

3286.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$8,398 Rp 151.2M

237.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$16.72 Rp 301.0K

381.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$27.84 Rp 501.2K

79.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$49.09 Rp 883.6K

127.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$48.42 Rp 871.6K

166.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$141 Rp 2.5M

2033.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$68.4 Rp 1.2M

3074.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$535 Rp 9.6M

991.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$369 Rp 6.6M

994.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$1,178 Rp 21.2M

1920.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$717 Rp 12.9M

2237.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$412 Rp 7.4M

965.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

11.38

-78.56%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karawang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Karawang

$68 15.1% 96.8% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Karawang

$175 38.5% 61.9% $283

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Karawang

$64 14% 75.2% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Karawang

$51 11.2% 75.8% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Karawang

$64 14.1% 61.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Karawang

$26 5.8% 80% $105

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Karawang

$5.8 * 1.3% 94.6% $102

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 $141 in Karawang. 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 965% 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 $11.00 in Karawang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $175 – making Karawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇩 Karawang

🕒 Local time

18:21 6:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

273,472

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Karawang 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Karawang

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 Karawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 672% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $680 in Karawang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karawang, 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 $453 in Karawang. That's a gap of about 672%.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $43.73 in Karawang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karawang, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Karawang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karawang – 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 Karawang. 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.