Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Setagaya-ku

For one person, living is cheaper in Setagaya-ku: $1,183 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Setagaya-ku
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Setagaya-ku Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Setagaya-ku

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Setagaya-ku

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 Setagaya-ku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,500 per month in Singapore vs $1,183 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

Singapore $3,500
Setagaya-ku $1,183

A couple spends around $5,265 per month in Singapore vs $1,834 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

Singapore $5,265
Setagaya-ku $1,834

A family of three spends $7,030 per month in Singapore vs $2,484 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

Singapore $7,030
Setagaya-ku $2,484

Singapore costs about 196% more than Setagaya-ku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Singapore sits 159% above the global median, while Setagaya-ku is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.12 ¥968

92.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$25.64 ¥4,050

175.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$4.36 ¥690

96.10%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.97 ¥470

75.08%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.04 ¥165

70.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.65 ¥102

89.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.19 ¥346

277.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.22 ¥508

215.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.23 ¥194

147.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.72 ¥272

48.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.64 ¥575

-21.43%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.17 ¥186

201.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.40 ¥1,643

103.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$6.11 ¥965

62.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$14.25 ¥2,252

78.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$5.59 ¥883

-18.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.74 ¥433

14.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.95 ¥466

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.14 ¥654

-46.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.62 ¥415

-1.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.63 ¥416

-12.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.24 ¥196

50.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.56 ¥87.7

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.79 ¥599

268.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.26 ¥989

275.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.81 ¥287

150.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.09 ¥330

112.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.46 ¥231

7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$50.7 ¥8,012

84.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.23 ¥510

12.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.66 ¥421

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$20.85 ¥3,294

-22.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.10 ¥174

122.73%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.2K ¥3.4M

630.91%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$18.6K ¥2.9M

700.18%

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

$172 SGD 220

$131 ¥20.6K

31.32%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$23.82 ¥3,764

-47.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$31.73 ¥5,013

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$55.0 ¥8,691

96.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$11.52 ¥1,820

1.04%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$636 ¥100.5K

132.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

92.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$62.3 ¥9,846

29.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$36.37 ¥5,747

37.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$62.1 ¥9,814

79.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$102 ¥16.2K

26.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$534 ¥84.4K

464.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$325 ¥51.4K

567.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,152 ¥182.0K

407.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$674 ¥106.4K

500.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$3,724 ¥588.4K

538.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,635 ¥258.4K

924.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

22.00%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Setagaya-ku

$325 27.5% 85% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Setagaya-ku

$281 23.7% 38.7% $177

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Setagaya-ku

$122 10.3% 52.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Setagaya-ku

$186 15.7% 11.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Setagaya-ku

$118 10% 29.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Setagaya-ku

$78 6.6% 40.6% $53

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Setagaya-ku

$73 6.2% 32% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,015 in Singapore versus $534 in Setagaya-ku. 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 $26.00 in Setagaya-ku. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $281 – making Setagaya-ku the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Setagaya-ku

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

943,664

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Setagaya-ku 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Setagaya-ku

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 Setagaya-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore costs about 196% more than Setagaya-ku, 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 $5,251 per month in Singapore and $1,775 in Setagaya-ku. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 63% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $26.00 in Setagaya-ku. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Setagaya-ku, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Singapore at $3,500. In Setagaya-ku it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Setagaya-ku – 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 Setagaya-ku. 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.