Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Matsuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsuyama: $1,324 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Matsuyama
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Matsuyama Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Matsuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Matsuyama

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,324 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Matsuyama $1,324

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,006 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Matsuyama $2,006

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,689 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Matsuyama $2,689

Singapore costs about 164% more than Matsuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Matsuyama is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.39 ¥1,010

84.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$31.11 ¥4,915

127.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$4.96 ¥784

72.38%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.32 ¥367

124.14%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.17 ¥185

51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.61 ¥97.0

101.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.00 ¥316

313.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.28 ¥361

346.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.55 ¥245

96.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.27 ¥201

100.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$5.49 ¥868

-47.91%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.08 ¥329

69.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$12.39 ¥1,957

70.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$9.30 ¥1,470

6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$31.67 ¥5,003

-19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.65 ¥576

25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.35 ¥371

33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$6.48 ¥1,024

-27.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.23 ¥668

-47.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.86 ¥610

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.39 ¥536

-32.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.25 ¥197

49.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.96 ¥152

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.51 ¥555

298.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$8.33 ¥1,317

181.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.95 ¥309

132.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.52 ¥239

192.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.70 ¥268

-7.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$49.46 ¥7,815

89.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.08 ¥486

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$3.08 ¥487

-75.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$26.94 ¥4,257

-40.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.05 ¥167

133.33%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$19.8K ¥3.1M

682.38%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$16.6K ¥2.6M

792.79%

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

$172 SGD 220

$143 ¥22.5K

20.23%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$24.10 ¥3,808

-48.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$43.52 ¥6,876

-39.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$58.8 ¥9,293

83.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$12.60 ¥1,990

-7.62%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$327 ¥51.7K

352.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$6,187 ¥977.5K

358.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$48.97 ¥7,737

64.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$24.93 ¥3,938

101.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$46.50 ¥7,347

140.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$66.1 ¥10.4K

95.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$534 ¥84.4K

464.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$374 ¥59.1K

480.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,186 ¥187.3K

392.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$654 ¥103.3K

518.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,764 ¥752.6K

399.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,942 ¥306.8K

762.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

2.28

7.02%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Matsuyama

$374 28.3% 82.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Matsuyama

$381 28.8% 16.8% $77

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Matsuyama

$116 8.7% 54.8% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Matsuyama

$210 15.9% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Matsuyama

$84 6.3% 49.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Matsuyama

$84 6.4% 36% $47

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Matsuyama

$75 5.7% 30.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $534 in Matsuyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore versus $31.00 in Matsuyama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $381 – making Matsuyama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Matsuyama

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

511,192

💱 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 Matsuyama 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Matsuyama

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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,324 in Matsuyama – roughly 164% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $1,985 in Matsuyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 90% less in Matsuyama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $327 in Matsuyama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matsuyama, where all-in costs run around $1,324, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Matsuyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matsuyama – 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 Matsuyama. 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.