Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Nagoya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagoya: $1,369 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Nagoya
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Nagoya Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Nagoya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Nagoya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,369 in Nagoya.

Singapore $3,500
Nagoya $1,369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $2,170 in Nagoya.

Singapore $5,265
Nagoya $2,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,972 in Nagoya.

Singapore $7,030
Nagoya $2,972

Living in Singapore is roughly 156% more expensive than in Nagoya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Nagoya 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$8.57 ¥1,355

37.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$31.14 ¥4,919

126.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.11 ¥808

67.32%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.39 ¥377

117.57%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.24 ¥195

42.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.85 ¥135

44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.09 ¥489

167.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.20 ¥505

217.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.51 ¥239

101.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.52 ¥241

67.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$4.03 ¥637

-29.03%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.15 ¥339

64.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$15.68 ¥2,477

34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$7.14 ¥1,129

38.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$16.92 ¥2,674

50.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$8.42 ¥1,330

-45.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.90 ¥459

7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$4.86 ¥768

-2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$7.84 ¥1,238

-71.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$4.08 ¥645

-37.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$4.75 ¥750

-51.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.14 ¥180

64.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.94 ¥148

53.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.86 ¥610

261.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$9.47 ¥1,496

147.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.49 ¥393

82.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.18 ¥345

103.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.49 ¥235

5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$118 ¥18.6K

-20.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.20 ¥505

13.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.85 ¥451

-73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$15.80 ¥2,495

2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.10 ¥173

122.73%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

617.12%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$14.9K ¥2.4M

897.60%

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

$172 SGD 220

$115 ¥18.2K

49.11%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$23.65 ¥3,736

-47.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$31.18 ¥4,926

-15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$50.5 ¥7,971

114.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$13.41 ¥2,119

-8.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.29 ¥1,784

3.10%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$572 ¥90.3K

159.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

91.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$49.53 ¥7,826

62.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$35.86 ¥5,666

39.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$59.7 ¥9,427

87.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$99.5 ¥15.7K

29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$537 ¥84.9K

460.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$352 ¥55.6K

517.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,199 ¥189.5K

387.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$749 ¥118.3K

440.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$2,031 ¥320.8K

1071.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,030 ¥162.7K

1526.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,882 ¥297.4K

132.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

2.02

20.79%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Nagoya

$352 25.7% 83.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Nagoya

$380 27.8% 17% $78

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Nagoya

$143 10.4% 44.2% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Nagoya

$170 12.4% 19.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Nagoya

$110 8% 34.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Nagoya

$73 5.3% 44.4% $58

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Nagoya

$141 10.3% 31.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $537 in Nagoya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 133% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $31.00 in Nagoya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $380 per month, with Nagoya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Nagoya

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

2,236,000

💱 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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From you

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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 Nagoya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagoya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 133% higher in Singapore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $537 in Nagoya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nagoya runs roughly 26% 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 $572 in Nagoya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,369 in Nagoya versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagoya but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Nagoya 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 Nagoya 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 Nagoya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.