Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Suwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,363 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,493

/mo nomad

Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Suwon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,493 in Singapore versus $1,363 in Suwon.

Singapore $3,493
Suwon $1,363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,174 in Singapore versus $2,148 in Suwon.

Singapore $5,174
Suwon $2,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,855 in Singapore versus $2,933 in Suwon.

Singapore $6,855
Suwon $2,933

Living in Singapore is roughly 156% more expensive than in Suwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 158% above, Suwon 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.74 SGD 15.02

$5.96 ₩7,921

96.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SGD 95.1

$30.15 ₩40.1K

146.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.21

$7.57 ₩10.1K

15.72%

Cappuccino

$5.32 SGD 6.80

$3.39 ₩4,512

56.93%

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

$1.89 SGD 2.42

$1.60 ₩2,126

18.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SGD 1.55

$0.63 ₩836

92.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SGD 10.82

$3.86 ₩5,129

119.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 SGD 12.57

$4.77 ₩6,336

106.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 SGD 3.72

$2.65 ₩3,528

9.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SGD 3.22

$2.67 ₩3,546

-5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.40 ₩4,517

-15.88%

Eggs

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.15 ₩4,184

15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.88 SGD 26.71

$11.04 ₩14.7K

89.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 SGD 12.69

$11.50 ₩15.3K

-13.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.77 SGD 32.98

$11.06 ₩14.7K

133.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 SGD 6.02

$6.28 ₩8,355

-25.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 SGD 3.94

$2.95 ₩3,916

4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 SGD 6.06

$5.29 ₩7,030

-10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 SGD 2.80

$4.44 ₩5,910

-50.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.45 ₩4,590

-25.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 SGD 2.97

$2.64 ₩3,516

-12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$4.86 ₩6,458

-61.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SGD 1.78

$1.30 ₩1,726

6.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 SGD 17.66

$3.78 ₩5,029

265.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.29 SGD 29.81

$13.86 ₩18.4K

68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 SGD 6.10

$2.53 ₩3,369

88.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 SGD 6.00

$3.71 ₩4,939

26.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 SGD 2.04

$1.21 ₩1,603

32.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 SGD 123

$47.15 ₩62.7K

103.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 SGD 4.61

$2.81 ₩3,739

28.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 SGD 1.02

$0.66 ₩882

19.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 SGD 21.28

$8.80 ₩11.7K

88.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 SGD 3.28

$1.40 ₩1,856

82.86%

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

$157.0K SGD 200.8K

$28.4K ₩37.7M

453.23%

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

$149.8K SGD 191.7K

$25.5K ₩33.9M

488.25%

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

$172 SGD 220

$185 ₩246.1K

-7.22%

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

$12.13 SGD 15.53

$17.99 ₩23.9K

-32.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.02 SGD 35.86

$17.72 ₩23.6K

58.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$44.21 ₩58.8K

144.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.24 SGD 15.67

$11.73 ₩15.6K

4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 SGD 15.39

$11.21 ₩14.9K

7.31%

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

$1,473 SGD 1,885

$696 ₩925.0K

111.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

$18.0K ₩24.0M

59.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 SGD 99.9

$36.84 ₩49.0K

111.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 SGD 65.1

$106 ₩140.4K

-51.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 SGD 139

$73.8 ₩98.1K

47.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SGD 158

$59.2 ₩78.7K

107.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 SGD 3,733

$433 ₩575.7K

573.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 SGD 2,765

$351 ₩466.4K

515.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,769 SGD 7,383

$1,164 ₩1.5M

395.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,849 SGD 4,925

$813 ₩1.1M

373.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.2K SGD 29.7K

$12.7K ₩16.8M

83.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K SGD 21.7K

$7,005 ₩9.3M

141.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,547 SGD 5,818

$2,576 ₩3.4M

76.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

6.5

-62.46%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Suwon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 61.8%

Suwon

$351 25.7% 83.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Suwon

$394 28.9% 13.9% $64

Eating Out

Singapore

$258 7.4%

Suwon

$149 10.9% 42.4% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$212 6.1%

Suwon

$221 16.2% 4.2% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$162 4.7%

Suwon

$124 9.1% 23.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$132 3.8%

Suwon

$67 4.9% 49.5% $65

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Suwon

$58 4.3% 47.1% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,917 in Singapore and $433 in Suwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 77% 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: $74.0 in Singapore vs $30.00 in Suwon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $394 per month, with Suwon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Suwon

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,203,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Singapore Suwon 4,650 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Suwon

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 Suwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suwon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $2,917 in Singapore versus $433 in Suwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,493 per month in Singapore versus $1,363 in Suwon – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Suwon runs roughly 103% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,363 in Suwon versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suwon but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Suwon 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 Suwon 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 Suwon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.