Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kitakyushu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,240 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kitakyushu

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,240 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Kitakyushu $1,240

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $1,919 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Kitakyushu $1,919

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,599 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Kitakyushu $2,599

Singapore costs about 182% more than Kitakyushu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Kitakyushu is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.30 ¥1,153

61.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$33.63 ¥5,314

109.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.49 ¥868

55.74%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.32 ¥525

56.63%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.99 ¥157

78.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.75 ¥118

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.00 ¥475

175.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.20 ¥348

362.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.49 ¥236

104.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.32 ¥209

93.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$5.31 ¥839

-46.14%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.30 ¥363

53.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$9.46 ¥1,494

123.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$5.29 ¥835

87.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$18.56 ¥2,932

36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.71 ¥586

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.78 ¥282

75.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.91 ¥459

62.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$2.88 ¥455

-22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.20 ¥347

16.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.53 ¥399

-9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.06 ¥168

76.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.92 ¥145

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.97 ¥626

251.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.44 ¥1,017

264.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.72 ¥272

163.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.70 ¥269

161.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.65 ¥261

-4.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$53.2 ¥8,405

76.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.91 ¥617

-6.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.09 ¥331

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$17.98 ¥2,840

-10.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.04 ¥164

135.58%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$20.8K ¥3.3M

645.83%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$17.8K ¥2.8M

735.09%

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

$172 SGD 220

$195 ¥30.9K

-12.19%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$24.96 ¥3,944

-50.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$32.31 ¥5,105

-18.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$51.4 ¥8,126

109.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$3.22 ¥508

282.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.19 ¥1,768

4.02%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$371 ¥58.7K

298.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

129.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$49.57 ¥7,832

62.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$25.75 ¥4,069

94.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$66.4 ¥10.5K

68.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$54.8 ¥8,658

135.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$522 ¥82.5K

477.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$333 ¥52.6K

551.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,106 ¥174.7K

428.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$725 ¥114.6K

457.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,174 ¥659.5K

469.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,729 ¥273.1K

869.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,510 ¥238.5K

190.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

1.69

44.38%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Kitakyushu

$333 26.9% 84.7% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Kitakyushu

$276 22.3% 39.7% $182

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Kitakyushu

$141 11.4% 44.8% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Kitakyushu

$253 20.4% 20.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Kitakyushu

$88 7.1% 47.1% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Kitakyushu

$74 6% 43.8% $57

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Kitakyushu

$74 6% 31% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $522 in Kitakyushu. 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 190% 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 $34.00 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $276 – making Kitakyushu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

939,029

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Kitakyushu 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Kitakyushu

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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,240 in Kitakyushu – roughly 182% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $1,859 in Kitakyushu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 66% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $34.00 in Kitakyushu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kitakyushu, where all-in costs run around $1,240, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Kitakyushu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kitakyushu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,240 in Kitakyushu to $3,500 in Singapore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kitakyushu. 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.