Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $710 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $32,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
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Ongjin Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Ongjin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $710 in Ongjin.

Singapore $3,454
Ongjin $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $1,126 in Ongjin.

Singapore $5,224
Ongjin $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $1,543 in Ongjin.

Singapore $6,994
Ongjin $1,543

Living in Singapore is roughly 387% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Ongjin is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$2.79 $2.79

313.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$23.34 $23.34

205.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$7.98 $7.98

9.77%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$1.16 $1.16

352.59%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$0.98 $0.98

86.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$0.98 $0.98

27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$6.64 $6.64

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$2.26 $2.26

343.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$0.93 $0.93

216.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$1.57 $1.57

57.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$2.26 $2.26

19.91%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$3.28 $3.28

13.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$4.66 $4.66

362.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$2.29 $2.29

315.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$5.67 $5.67

358.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$6.80 $6.80

-34.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$4.63 $4.63

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$2.34 $2.34

97.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$2.29 $2.29

-2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$3.50 $3.50

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$3.33 $3.33

-28.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$2.31 $2.31

-22.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$0.43 $0.43

251.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$4.67 $4.67

203.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$7.81 $7.81

204.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$1.11 $1.11

306.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$2.23 $2.23

104.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$1.00 $1.00

58.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$39.98 $39.98

141.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$1.57 $1.57

131.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$2.23 $2.23

-64.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

$41.01 $41.01

-60.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$0.75 $0.75

234.67%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$23.0K $23.0K

577.96%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

422.52%

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

$175 SGD 224

$33.78 $33.78

418.12%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$11.46 $11.46

8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

$45.71 $45.71

-41.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$43.61 $43.61

155.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

$14.96 $14.96

-19.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$7.75 $7.75

49.68%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$109 $109

1239.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$2,117 $2,117

1239.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$22.72 $22.72

258.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$27.97 $27.97

80.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$61.6 $61.6

81.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$84.1 $84.1

54.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$89.2 $89.2

3170.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$91.3 $91.3

2229.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$2,244 $2,244

151.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$136 $136

2814.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$1,691 $1,691

1295.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$1,423 $1,423

1082.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$214 $214

1938.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

7.11

-65.68%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Ongjin

$91 12.7% 95.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Ongjin

$229 31.8% 49.9% $228

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Ongjin

$106 14.7% 58.7% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Ongjin

$91 12.6% 57.5% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Ongjin

$88 12.3% 47.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Ongjin

$59 8.2% 56.1% $76

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Ongjin

$57 7.9% 48.6% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,916 in Singapore and $89.2 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 1938% 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 $23.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $229 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

152,878

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Between locations

Singapore Ongjin 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 387% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1938% 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: $2,916 in Singapore versus $89.2 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongjin – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $710 in Ongjin versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin 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 Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 387% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.