Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Niigata

For one person, living is cheaper in Niigata: $723 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Niigata
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Niigata Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Niigata

🇯🇵 Japan

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Niigata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $723 in Niigata.

Singapore $3,500
Niigata $723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,092 in Niigata.

Singapore $5,265
Niigata $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $1,462 in Niigata.

Singapore $7,030
Niigata $1,462

Living in Singapore is roughly 384% more expensive than in Niigata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Niigata is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.13 ¥969

91.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$15.60 ¥2,465

352.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.00 ¥790

71.00%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.60 ¥410

100.00%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.56 ¥246

13.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.80 ¥127

53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.58 ¥408

220.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.65 ¥419

283.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.22 ¥193

149.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$0.97 ¥154

162.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$2.55 ¥403

12.16%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.23 ¥352

58.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$7.68 ¥1,214

175.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$6.68 ¥1,055

48.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$16.34 ¥2,581

55.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.24 ¥513

41.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.23 ¥195

154.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.55 ¥402

85.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$2.27 ¥359

-1.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$1.91 ¥302

34.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$1.95 ¥308

17.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.93 ¥148

101.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.65 ¥102

121.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.78 ¥598

269.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$4.30 ¥679

446.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.70 ¥269

167.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.91 ¥301

132.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.26 ¥199

24.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.60 ¥410

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$3.09 ¥488

-75.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$18.34 ¥2,897

-12.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.04 ¥165

135.58%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$18.6K ¥2.9M

732.38%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$12.5K ¥2.0M

1091.37%

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

$172 SGD 220

$147 ¥23.2K

16.89%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$21.26 ¥3,360

-41.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$25.41 ¥4,015

3.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$52.0 ¥8,210

107.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$6.24 ¥985

97.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.85 ¥1,872

-1.77%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$63.2 ¥9,991

2241.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$18.0K ¥2.8M

57.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$31.35 ¥4,953

156.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$32.21 ¥5,089

55.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$37.87 ¥5,982

195.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$63.6 ¥10.0K

102.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$350 ¥55.3K

761.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,267 ¥200.2K

246.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

1.48

64.86%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Niigata: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Niigata

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Niigata

$234 32.3% 48.9% $224

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Niigata

$123 17% 52% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Niigata

$193 26.8% 8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Niigata

$74 10.3% 55.6% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Niigata

$76 10.5% 42.4% $56

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Niigata

$23 * 3.2% 78.5% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $350 in Niigata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 246% 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 $16.00 in Niigata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $234 per month, with Niigata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Niigata

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

811,639

💱 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 Niigata 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Niigata

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 Niigata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Niigata differ by about 384% in total monthly costs ($3,500 vs $723 including rent). Niigata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 246% 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 $350 in Niigata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $723 in Niigata – a 384% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $723 in Niigata versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Niigata but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Niigata 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 Niigata 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 Niigata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 384% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.