Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Nagasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagasaki: $1,277 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Nagasaki
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Nagasaki Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Nagasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Nagasaki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,277 in Nagasaki.

Singapore $3,500
Nagasaki $1,277

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,859 in Nagasaki.

Singapore $5,265
Nagasaki $1,859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,441 in Nagasaki.

Singapore $7,030
Nagasaki $2,441

Living in Singapore is roughly 174% more expensive than in Nagasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Nagasaki is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$5.00 ¥789

135.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$18.95 ¥2,994

272.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$4.92 ¥778

73.78%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.76 ¥594

38.30%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.05 ¥166

68.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.72 ¥113

70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.24 ¥355

268.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.25 ¥356

352.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.55 ¥244

96.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.89 ¥299

34.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$6.32 ¥998

-54.75%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.02 ¥319

74.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$9.69 ¥1,531

117.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$3.18 ¥502

211.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$19.16 ¥3,028

32.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.71 ¥586

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.88 ¥296

66.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.76 ¥435

71.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$3.35 ¥530

-33.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.15 ¥340

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.55 ¥402

-10.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.07 ¥170

74.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.92 ¥146

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.97 ¥628

251.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.18 ¥977

279.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.64 ¥260

176.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.85 ¥292

140.00%

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

$53.9 ¥8,518

73.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.96 ¥625

-8.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.03 ¥321

-62.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$17.87 ¥2,823

-9.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.07 ¥169

128.97%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

605.72%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$17.7K ¥2.8M

740.35%

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

$172 SGD 220

$209 ¥33.0K

-17.90%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$24.63 ¥3,892

-49.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$32.77 ¥5,178

-20.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$46.08 ¥7,281

134.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.22 ¥1,772

3.74%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$126 ¥19.8K

1079.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

130.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$49.78 ¥7,864

61.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$26.03 ¥4,113

92.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$66.6 ¥10.5K

67.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$47.35 ¥7,480

172.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$535 ¥84.6K

463.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$380 ¥60.1K

470.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,193 ¥188.5K

389.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$683 ¥108.0K

491.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,200 ¥663.6K

466.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,759 ¥277.9K

852.22%

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 Nagasaki: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Nagasaki

$380 29.8% 82.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Nagasaki

$279 21.9% 39.1% $179

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Nagasaki

$123 9.6% 52.1% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Nagasaki

$266 20.9% 26.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Nagasaki

$85 6.7% 48.9% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Nagasaki

$69 5.4% 47.8% $63

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Nagasaki

$75 5.8% 30.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $535 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $19.00 in Nagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $279 per month, with Nagasaki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Nagasaki

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

409,118

💱 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 →

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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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,915 in Nagasaki 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 $535 in Nagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,277 in Nagasaki versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 174% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.