Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Seongnam

For one person, living is cheaper in Seongnam: $1,405 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
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Seongnam Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Seongnam

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

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,405 in Seongnam, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Seongnam $1,405

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $2,330 in Seongnam, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Seongnam $2,330

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $3,255 in Seongnam, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Seongnam $3,255

Singapore costs about 149% more than Seongnam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Singapore and Seongnam sit above the global median – Singapore by 159%, Seongnam by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.61 ₩8,787

77.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$40.26 ₩53.5K

75.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.67 ₩8,870

28.19%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$4.16 ₩5,528

25.00%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.59 ₩2,120

11.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.82 ₩1,093

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.56 ₩4,727

132.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.81 ₩5,065

166.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.26 ₩3,005

34.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.08 ₩4,098

-17.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.59 ₩4,779

-20.33%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$3.61 ₩4,804

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$9.24 ₩12.3K

128.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$7.73 ₩10.3K

28.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$21.02 ₩27.9K

20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$7.75 ₩10.3K

-41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$3.42 ₩4,552

-8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$5.87 ₩7,808

-19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$6.99 ₩9,288

-68.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.60 ₩4,793

-28.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.52 ₩3,354

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.80 ₩3,725

-33.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.33 ₩1,766

8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.45 ₩4,584

304.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$18.42 ₩24.5K

27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.09 ₩2,776

117.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.82 ₩2,422

143.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.03 ₩1,368

52.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.64 ₩4,841

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.66 ₩876

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$8.86 ₩11.8K

82.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.36 ₩1,811

80.15%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$29.3K ₩39.0M

429.38%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$28.4K ₩37.8M

422.86%

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

$172 SGD 220

$207 ₩275.9K

-17.32%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$36.39 ₩48.4K

-65.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$20.67 ₩27.5K

26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$51.6 ₩68.6K

109.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$12.09 ₩16.1K

1.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$10.99 ₩14.6K

5.91%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$532 ₩707.0K

178.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$17.7K ₩23.5M

60.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$57.6 ₩76.6K

39.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$32.21 ₩42.8K

55.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$69.7 ₩92.6K

60.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$81.8 ₩108.8K

57.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$478 ₩635.4K

530.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$366 ₩486.9K

492.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,168 ₩1.6M

400.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$1,035 ₩1.4M

290.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$7,163 ₩9.5M

232.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,429 ₩7.2M

208.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

4.08

-40.20%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Seongnam

$366 26.1% 83.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Seongnam

$423 30.1% 7.5% $34

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Seongnam

$158 11.2% 38.3% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Seongnam

$265 18.8% 25.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Seongnam

$109 7.7% 35% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Seongnam

$74 5.2% 44% $58

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8% 89.7% $96

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $478 in Seongnam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore versus $40.00 in Seongnam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $423 – making Seongnam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

967,510

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Singapore Seongnam 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Seongnam

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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,500 in Singapore, $1,405 in Seongnam – roughly 149% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,251 per month in Singapore and $2,108 in Seongnam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,500 in Singapore and $1,405 in Seongnam. That's a gap of about 149%.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Singapore and $532 in Seongnam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seongnam, where all-in costs run around $1,405, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Seongnam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seongnam – 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 Seongnam. 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.