Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Pohnpei

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohnpei: $1,693 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Pohnpei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,454 in Singapore versus $1,693 in Pohnpei.

Singapore $3,454
Pohnpei $1,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,224 in Singapore versus $2,562 in Pohnpei.

Singapore $5,224
Pohnpei $2,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,994 in Singapore versus $3,431 in Pohnpei.

Singapore $6,994
Pohnpei $3,431

Living in Singapore is roughly 104% more expensive than in Pohnpei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 158% above, Pohnpei 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$11.61 $11.61

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$45.19 $45.19

57.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$7.56 $7.56

15.87%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$3.05 $3.05

72.13%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$1.24 $1.24

47.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$3.95 $3.95

-68.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$3.03 $3.03

230.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$0.25 $0.25

1076.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$3.32 $3.32

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$3.06 $3.06

-11.44%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$7.30 $7.30

-48.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$6.81 $6.81

216.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$5.13 $5.13

85.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$11.53 $11.53

125.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$5.98 $5.98

-25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$3.54 $3.54

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$5.64 $5.64

-18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$4.96 $4.96

-49.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$5.13 $5.13

-53.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$3.84 $3.84

-53.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$1.02 $1.02

48.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$9.22 $9.22

53.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$3.06 $3.06

677.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$2.40 $2.40

90.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$1.02 $1.02

54.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$4.91 $4.91

-26.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$1.20 $1.20

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

$3.97 $3.97

307.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$3.66 $3.66

-31.42%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

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

$175 SGD 224

$137 $137

28.14%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$40.46 $40.46

-69.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

$201 $201

-86.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$19.69 $19.69

466.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

$51.0 $51.0

-76.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$171 $171

758.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$79.7 $79.7

2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$68.6 $68.6

-26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$111 $111

0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$97.0 $97.0

33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$901 $901

223.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$610 $610

249.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$1,599 $1,599

253.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$1,211 $1,211

227.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$358 $358

1120.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

360000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Pohnpei: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Pohnpei

$610 36.8% 71.4% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Pohnpei

$295 * 17.8% 35.4% $162

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Pohnpei

$179 * 10.8% 30.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Pohnpei

$378 22.8% 76.6% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Pohnpei

$160 9.7% 4.7% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2% 85.4% $115

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9% 86.4% $95

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 $2,916 in Singapore and $901 in Pohnpei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 1120% 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 $45.00 in Pohnpei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $295 per month, with Pohnpei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

14:51 2:51 PM

3 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

34,486

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

United States Dollar 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).

United States Dollar 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 Pohnpei 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Pohnpei

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 Pohnpei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohnpei is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1120% 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 $901 in Pohnpei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Singapore. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,454 per month in Singapore versus $1,693 in Pohnpei – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,693 in Pohnpei versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pohnpei but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Pohnpei 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 Pohnpei 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 Pohnpei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.