Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawasaki: $1,481 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kawasaki

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,481 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Kawasaki $1,481

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,245 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Kawasaki $2,245

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $3,009 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Kawasaki $3,009

Singapore costs about 136% more than Kawasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Singapore and Kawasaki sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Kawasaki by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.72 ¥1,220

52.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$37.50 ¥5,924

88.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.02 ¥793

70.32%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.69 ¥426

93.31%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.59 ¥251

11.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.87 ¥137

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.22 ¥509

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.06 ¥484

232.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.52 ¥241

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.55 ¥244

64.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$4.23 ¥669

-32.39%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.11 ¥333

67.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$11.09 ¥1,751

90.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$6.63 ¥1,047

49.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$16.37 ¥2,587

55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$6.27 ¥991

-27.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.71 ¥428

15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$4.95 ¥783

-4.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$5.33 ¥842

-58.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.27 ¥517

-21.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.06 ¥483

-25.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.14 ¥179

64.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.82 ¥130

75.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.83 ¥605

264.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$9.39 ¥1,483

150.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.39 ¥377

89.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.71 ¥429

63.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.90 ¥300

-17.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$51.1 ¥8,072

83.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.07 ¥485

18.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$3.06 ¥484

-75.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$18.85 ¥2,978

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.06 ¥167

131.13%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

605.57%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

864.87%

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

$172 SGD 220

$124 ¥19.6K

38.38%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$23.61 ¥3,729

-47.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$30.45 ¥4,810

-13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$54.2 ¥8,560

99.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$6.22 ¥982

97.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$12.18 ¥1,925

-4.43%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$568 ¥89.8K

160.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

95.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$50.1 ¥7,914

60.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$33.45 ¥5,285

49.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$64.4 ¥10.2K

73.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$70.9 ¥11.2K

81.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$754 ¥119.2K

299.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$576 ¥90.9K

277.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,281 ¥202.4K

356.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$1,021 ¥161.2K

296.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,698 ¥742.2K

406.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$3,131 ¥494.7K

435.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$2,542 ¥401.6K

72.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

2.02

20.79%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kawasaki: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Kawasaki

$576 38.9% 73.5% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Kawasaki

$332 22.4% 27.4% $126

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Kawasaki

$141 9.5% 44.8% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Kawasaki

$178 12% 15.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Kawasaki

$98 6.7% 41.1% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Kawasaki

$79 5.3% 40.2% $53

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 28.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $754 in Kawasaki. 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 72% 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $332 – making Kawasaki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,538,262

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Singapore Kawasaki 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kawasaki

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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 136% more than Kawasaki, 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 $2,222 in Kawasaki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kawasaki, 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,500 in Singapore and $1,481 in Kawasaki. That's a gap of about 136%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kawasaki, where all-in costs run around $1,481, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Kawasaki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kawasaki costs $1,481 versus $3,500 in Singapore. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kawasaki. 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.