Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,300 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
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Pyongyang

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

A single person spends $3,454 per month in Singapore vs $426 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Singapore $3,454
Pyongyang $426

A couple spends around $5,224 per month in Singapore vs $696 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Singapore $5,224
Pyongyang $696

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in Singapore vs $965 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Singapore $6,994
Pyongyang $965

Singapore costs about 711% more than Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 158% above the global median, while Pyongyang is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$4.93 $4.93

133.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$36.47 $36.47

95.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$21.96 $21.96

-60.11%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$1.13 $1.13

364.60%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$2.19 $2.19

-16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$1.28 $1.28

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$13.69 $13.69

-38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$4.83 $4.83

107.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$0.92 $0.92

219.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$2.37 $2.37

4.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$0.91 $0.91

197.80%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$2.08 $2.08

79.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

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

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$75.9 $75.9

47.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$91.0 $91.0

3105.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$89.7 $89.7

2271.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$135 $135

2842.84%

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

$250 $250

1644.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Pyongyang

$90 21.3% 95.8% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7% 90.2% $413

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Pyongyang

$211 50% 17.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Pyongyang

$76 * 18% 43.7% $59

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Singapore versus $91.0 in Pyongyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1644% higher in Singapore, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore versus $36.00 in Pyongyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $45.00 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.697 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 = 1.43 SGD (1 SGD = 0.697 EUR).

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

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Pyongyang 4,750 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Pyongyang

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 Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,454 in Singapore, $426 in Pyongyang – roughly 711% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,180 per month in Singapore and $639 in Pyongyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pyongyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $36.00 in Pyongyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,454 in Singapore and $426 in Pyongyang. That's a gap of about 711%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pyongyang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pyongyang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.