Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Sendai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sendai: $1,161 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $28,000 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Sendai
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Sendai Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,493

/mo nomad

Sendai

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Sendai

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

A single person spends $3,493 per month in Singapore vs $1,161 in Sendai, rent included.

Singapore $3,493
Sendai $1,161

A couple spends around $5,174 per month in Singapore vs $1,835 in Sendai, rent included.

Singapore $5,174
Sendai $1,835

A family of three spends $6,855 per month in Singapore vs $2,510 in Sendai, rent included.

Singapore $6,855
Sendai $2,510

Singapore costs about 201% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 158% above the global median, while Sendai is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.74 SGD 15.02

$6.23 ¥984

88.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SGD 95.1

$34.65 ¥5,474

114.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.21

$4.50 ¥711

94.67%

Cappuccino

$5.32 SGD 6.80

$3.62 ¥571

46.96%

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

$1.89 SGD 2.42

$0.94 ¥149

101.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SGD 1.55

$0.78 ¥124

55.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SGD 10.82

$1.87 ¥295

352.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 SGD 12.57

$3.20 ¥505

207.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 SGD 3.72

$1.45 ¥229

100.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SGD 3.22

$1.44 ¥227

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$6.64 ¥1,048

-56.93%

Eggs

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.09 ¥330

74.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.88 SGD 26.71

$10.89 ¥1,721

91.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 SGD 12.69

$11.91 ¥1,881

-16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.77 SGD 32.98

$9.00 ¥1,422

186.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 SGD 6.02

$3.55 ¥560

32.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 SGD 3.94

$2.20 ¥348

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 SGD 6.06

$4.47 ¥707

6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 SGD 2.80

$3.24 ¥512

-32.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.58 ¥407

-0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 SGD 2.97

$2.27 ¥358

2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$1.41 ¥222

31.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SGD 1.78

$1.25 ¥198

11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 SGD 17.66

$4.44 ¥701

210.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.29 SGD 29.81

$7.01 ¥1,107

232.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 SGD 6.10

$1.57 ¥248

203.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 SGD 6.00

$2.61 ¥413

79.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 SGD 2.04

$1.47 ¥232

8.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 SGD 123

$37.26 ¥5,886

157.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 SGD 4.61

$5.23 ¥826

-30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 SGD 1.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 SGD 21.28

$18.42 ¥2,910

-9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 SGD 3.28

$1.06 ¥168

141.51%

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

$157.0K SGD 200.8K

$15.8K ¥2.5M

891.34%

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

$149.8K SGD 191.7K

$24.8K ¥3.9M

503.59%

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

$172 SGD 220

$138 ¥21.8K

24.51%

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

$12.13 SGD 15.53

$30.52 ¥4,822

-60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.02 SGD 35.86

$34.78 ¥5,495

-19.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$44.60 ¥7,046

142.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.24 SGD 15.67

$12.84 ¥2,029

-4.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 SGD 15.39

$10.07 ¥1,590

19.46%

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

$1,473 SGD 1,885

$229 ¥36.2K

543.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

$3,792 ¥599.0K

658.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 SGD 99.9

$56.1 ¥8,868

39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 SGD 65.1

$33.92 ¥5,359

49.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 SGD 139

$35.34 ¥5,583

207.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SGD 158

$53.5 ¥8,455

129.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 SGD 3,733

$560 ¥88.4K

421.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 SGD 2,765

$327 ¥51.7K

560.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,769 SGD 7,383

$692 ¥109.4K

733.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,849 SGD 4,925

$715 ¥112.9K

438.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.2K SGD 29.7K

$2,638 ¥416.8K

778.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K SGD 21.7K

$1,424 ¥225.0K

1088.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,547 SGD 5,818

$996 ¥157.3K

356.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

2.73

-10.62%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sendai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 61.8%

Sendai

$327 28.2% 84.9% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Sendai

$308 26.5% 32.7% $150

Eating Out

Singapore

$258 7.4%

Sendai

$129 11.1% 49.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$212 6.1%

Sendai

$203 17.5% 4.1% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$162 4.7%

Sendai

$81 6.9% 50.4% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$132 3.8%

Sendai

$65 5.6% 51% $67

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Sendai

$48 * 4.2% 56% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,917 in Singapore versus $560 in Sendai. 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 357% 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 $74.0 in Singapore versus $35.00 in Sendai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $308 – making Sendai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Sendai

🕒 Local time

01:07 1:07 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,082,159

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Singapore Sendai 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Sendai

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 Sendai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 201% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,240 per month in Singapore and $1,742 in Sendai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sendai, 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 $74.0 in Singapore and $35.00 in Sendai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,493 in Singapore and $1,161 in Sendai. That's a gap of about 201%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sendai, where all-in costs run around $1,161, than in Singapore at $3,493. In Sendai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sendai costs $1,161 versus $3,493 in Singapore. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Sendai. 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.