Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Tsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,269 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Tsu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,269 in Tsu.

Singapore $3,500
Tsu $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,979 in Tsu.

Singapore $5,265
Tsu $1,979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,688 in Tsu.

Singapore $7,030
Tsu $2,688

Living in Singapore is roughly 176% more expensive than in Tsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Tsu is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.48 ¥1,023

81.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$17.81 ¥2,814

296.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$3.84 ¥606

122.66%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.34 ¥370

122.22%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.19 ¥188

48.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.63 ¥98.8

95.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.00 ¥317

313.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.34 ¥369

334.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.51 ¥238

101.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.26 ¥199

102.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$5.42 ¥856

-47.23%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$1.99 ¥315

77.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$12.71 ¥2,008

66.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$9.73 ¥1,537

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$32.13 ¥5,076

-20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$3.78 ¥596

20.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.28 ¥361

37.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$6.23 ¥985

-24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.19 ¥661

-46.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.86 ¥610

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.53 ¥558

-35.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.28 ¥202

46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.01 ¥159

42.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.52 ¥557

296.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$8.02 ¥1,266

192.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.03 ¥321

123.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$1.45 ¥230

206.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.50 ¥236

4.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$52.4 ¥8,283

78.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.17 ¥502

14.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$3.08 ¥486

-75.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$26.27 ¥4,151

-38.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.07 ¥169

128.97%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$19.0K ¥3.0M

717.78%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$16.3K ¥2.6M

810.90%

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

$172 SGD 220

$147 ¥23.3K

16.39%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$24.31 ¥3,840

-49.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$43.93 ¥6,940

-40.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$51.9 ¥8,195

108.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$12.83 ¥2,028

-4.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$8.17 ¥1,290

42.47%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$318 ¥50.3K

365.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$6,203 ¥980.0K

356.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$49.88 ¥7,880

61.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$24.95 ¥3,941

100.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$44.99 ¥7,108

148.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$66.1 ¥10.4K

94.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$521 ¥82.4K

478.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$327 ¥51.7K

563.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,113 ¥175.9K

424.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$726 ¥114.7K

457.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,165 ¥658.0K

471.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,745 ¥275.8K

859.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,509 ¥238.4K

190.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

1.9

28.42%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Tsu

$327 25.8% 84.9% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Tsu

$384 30.2% 16.1% $74

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Tsu

$113 8.9% 55.7% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Tsu

$216 17% 2.6% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Tsu

$84 6.6% 49.9% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Tsu

$68 5.4% 48.1% $63

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Tsu

$77 6.1% 28.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $521 in Tsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 191% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $18.00 in Tsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $384 per month, with Tsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Tsu

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

18:27 6:27 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

279,241

💱 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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Singapore Tsu 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
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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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 176% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 191% 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $521 in Tsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $1,269 in Tsu – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tsu runs roughly 79% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,269 in Tsu versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tsu but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Tsu 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 Tsu 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 Tsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.