Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Kumamoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumamoto: $1,275 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Kumamoto
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Kumamoto Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Kumamoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Kumamoto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,275 in Kumamoto.

Singapore $3,500
Kumamoto $1,275

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,968 in Kumamoto.

Singapore $5,265
Kumamoto $1,968

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,661 in Kumamoto.

Singapore $7,030
Kumamoto $2,661

Living in Singapore is roughly 175% more expensive than in Kumamoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Kumamoto is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.11 ¥1,123

65.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$31.31 ¥4,947

125.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.04 ¥955

41.56%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.21 ¥507

61.99%

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

$0.76 ¥121

61.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.75 ¥593

120.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.24 ¥353

354.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.35 ¥213

125.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.85 ¥292

37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$6.70 ¥1,058

-57.31%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.86 ¥293

89.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$18.45 ¥2,915

14.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$5.47 ¥865

80.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$18.63 ¥2,944

36.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.57 ¥565

28.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.85 ¥292

69.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.89 ¥457

63.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$3.39 ¥535

-34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.19 ¥347

17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.62 ¥414

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.06 ¥168

76.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.98 ¥154

46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.87 ¥611

260.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$5.63 ¥890

317.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.66 ¥262

173.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.90 ¥300

133.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.37 ¥217

14.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$57.2 ¥9,037

63.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.85 ¥608

-5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.08 ¥329

-63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$18.13 ¥2,865

-10.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.10 ¥175

122.73%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

605.03%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$17.7K ¥2.8M

738.67%

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

$172 SGD 220

$207 ¥32.7K

-17.19%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$24.29 ¥3,838

-48.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$33.05 ¥5,222

-20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$45.67 ¥7,215

136.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$10.98 ¥1,735

6.01%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$126 ¥20.0K

1071.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

133.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$48.65 ¥7,685

65.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$26.06 ¥4,118

92.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$65.7 ¥10.4K

70.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$46.35 ¥7,323

178.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$524 ¥82.8K

475.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$325 ¥51.3K

568.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,110 ¥175.3K

426.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$722 ¥114.1K

460.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,521 ¥714.2K

426.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,747 ¥276.0K

858.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

1.97

23.86%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Kumamoto

$325 25.5% 85% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Kumamoto

$313 24.6% 31.5% $144

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Kumamoto

$144 11.3% 43.8% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Kumamoto

$265 20.8% 25.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Kumamoto

$84 6.6% 49.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Kumamoto

$68 5.3% 48.5% $64

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Kumamoto

$77 6% 28.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $524 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $31.00 in Kumamoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $313 per month, with Kumamoto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Kumamoto

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

738,865

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Kumamoto 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
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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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Kumamoto differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $1,275 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,912 in Kumamoto 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $524 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 64% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $126 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,275 in Kumamoto versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.