Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Koriyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Koriyama: $1,187 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,493
/mo nomad
Koriyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,187
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Koriyama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,493 in Singapore versus $1,187 in Koriyama.

  • Singapore $3,493
  • Koriyama $1,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,174 in Singapore versus $1,881 in Koriyama.

  • Singapore $5,174
  • Koriyama $1,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,855 in Singapore versus $2,575 in Koriyama.

  • Singapore $6,855
  • Koriyama $2,575

Living in Singapore is roughly 194% more expensive than in Koriyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Koriyama is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.74 SGD 15.02
$6.12 ¥967
91.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.3 SGD 95.1
$31.16 ¥4,923
138.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 SGD 11.21
$5.13 ¥810
70.76%
Cappuccino
$5.32 SGD 6.80
$2.96 ¥468
79.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 SGD 2.42
$1.24 ¥195
52.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 SGD 1.55
$0.78 ¥124
55.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.46 SGD 10.82
$2.70 ¥426
213.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.83 SGD 12.57
$3.17 ¥501
210.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.91 SGD 3.72
$1.46 ¥230
99.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 SGD 3.22
$1.56 ¥246
61.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$4.20 ¥664
-31.90%
Eggs
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$2.01 ¥317
81.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.88 SGD 26.71
$10.18 ¥1,609
105.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 SGD 12.69
$6.65 ¥1,051
49.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.77 SGD 32.98
$16.68 ¥2,635
54.50%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 SGD 6.02
$3.65 ¥576
28.77%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 SGD 3.94
$2.27 ¥358
35.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 SGD 6.06
$2.89 ¥457
64.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 SGD 2.80
$4.07 ¥643
-46.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$2.47 ¥390
4.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 SGD 2.97
$2.55 ¥402
-9.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SGD 2.39
$1.29 ¥204
44.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 SGD 1.78
$0.84 ¥133
65.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.80 SGD 17.66
$3.85 ¥608
258.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.29 SGD 29.81
$6.80 ¥1,074
242.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.77 SGD 6.10
$1.85 ¥293
157.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.69 SGD 6.00
$2.11 ¥333
122.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 SGD 2.04
$1.52 ¥241
5.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.0 SGD 123
$53.0 ¥8,380
80.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.61 SGD 4.61
$3.22 ¥508
12.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 SGD 1.02
$2.87 ¥453
-72.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 SGD 21.28
$18.64 ¥2,945
-10.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.56 SGD 3.28
$1.10 ¥174
132.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$157.0K SGD 200.8K
$20.9K ¥3.3M
649.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$149.8K SGD 191.7K
$15.2K ¥2.4M
883.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$134 ¥21.2K
27.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.13 SGD 15.53
$24.63 ¥3,890
-50.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.02 SGD 35.86
$31.55 ¥4,984
-11.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$52.2 ¥8,243
107.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.24 SGD 15.67
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.03 SGD 15.39
$12.02 ¥1,899
0.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,473 SGD 1,885
$523 ¥82.7K
181.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.7K SGD 36.8K
$12.6K ¥2.0M
127.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.0 SGD 99.9
$49.37 ¥7,799
58.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9 SGD 65.1
$31.64 ¥4,999
60.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 SGD 139
$61.0 ¥9,639
78.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 SGD 158
$87.4 ¥13.8K
40.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,917 SGD 3,733
$542 ¥85.6K
438.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,161 SGD 2,765
$325 ¥51.4K
564.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,769 SGD 7,383
$1,102 ¥174.1K
423.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,849 SGD 4,925
$739 ¥116.8K
420.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.2K SGD 29.7K
$4,230 ¥668.2K
448.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.9K SGD 21.7K
$1,778 ¥280.8K
852.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Koriyama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,547 SGD 5,818
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
2.21
10.41%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Koriyama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Koriyama
$325 85% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Koriyama
$287 37.2% $171
Eating Out
Singapore
$258
Koriyama
$128 50.5% $131
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$212
Koriyama
$191 10% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$162
Koriyama
$103 36.4% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$132
Koriyama
$76 42.3% $56
Getting Around
Singapore
$110
Koriyama
$77 30.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,917 in Singapore and $542 in Koriyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Singapore vs $31.00 in Koriyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $287 per month, with Koriyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇯🇵 Koriyama
🕒 Local time
23:29 11:29 PM
00:29 12:29 AM
1 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
327,692
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Koriyama 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Koriyama

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 Koriyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Singapore and in Koriyama?
Singapore and Koriyama differ by about 194% in total monthly costs ($3,493 vs $1,187 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Singapore compared to Koriyama?
You'd need roughly $5,240 in Singapore and $1,781 in Koriyama 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Singapore and in Koriyama?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,917 in Singapore versus $542 in Koriyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Singapore and in Koriyama?
A monthly transit pass in Koriyama runs roughly 81% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Singapore and Koriyama?
Childcare runs $1,473 in Singapore versus $523 in Koriyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,187 in Koriyama versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Singapore and Koriyama?
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.
Is Singapore or Koriyama safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Koriyama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Singapore or Koriyama?
Expats usually find Koriyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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