Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,104 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
Learn more

Tsukuba Living Index

Jump to prices

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Tsukuba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,104 in Tsukuba.

Singapore $3,500
Tsukuba $1,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,754 in Tsukuba.

Singapore $5,265
Tsukuba $1,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,404 in Tsukuba.

Singapore $7,030
Tsukuba $2,404

Living in Singapore is roughly 217% more expensive than in Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Tsukuba is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.48 ¥1,024

81.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$33.35 ¥5,269

111.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.01 ¥791

70.66%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$2.74 ¥433

89.78%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.03 ¥162

71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.74 ¥118

66.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.19 ¥347

277.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.21 ¥506

216.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.45 ¥229

109.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.67 ¥264

52.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.09 ¥488

-7.44%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.09 ¥330

68.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.21 ¥1,614

106.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$6.03 ¥952

64.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$14.35 ¥2,267

77.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$5.83 ¥921

-21.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.82 ¥445

10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$2.80 ¥443

68.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.12 ¥650

-45.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.63 ¥416

-2.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.56 ¥405

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.85 ¥134

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.81 ¥128

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.76 ¥594

271.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.16 ¥973

281.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.80 ¥284

152.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.11 ¥333

110.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.45 ¥230

8.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$52.8 ¥8,337

77.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.18 ¥502

14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.70 ¥426

-71.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$20.78 ¥3,282

-22.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.05 ¥166

133.33%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

617.08%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

703.47%

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

$172 SGD 220

$129 ¥20.4K

32.53%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$24.48 ¥3,868

-49.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$32.65 ¥5,158

-19.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$53.6 ¥8,472

101.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$12.38 ¥1,955

-5.98%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$94.2 ¥14.9K

1472.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

92.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$46.72 ¥7,382

72.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$37.27 ¥5,888

34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$38.06 ¥6,013

193.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$41.11 ¥6,495

213.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$466 ¥73.6K

547.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$281 ¥44.4K

673.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,081 ¥170.7K

440.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$629 ¥99.4K

542.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,648 ¥734.4K

411.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,980 ¥312.8K

746.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$1,449 ¥228.8K

202.70%

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 Tsukuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Tsukuba

$281 25.4% 87.1% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Tsukuba

$285 25.8% 37.7% $172

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Tsukuba

$124 11.3% 51.4% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Tsukuba

$187 16.9% 11.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Tsukuba

$73 6.7% 56.1% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Tsukuba

$78 7.1% 40.3% $53

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Tsukuba

$75 6.8% 30% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $466 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 203% 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 $33.00 in Tsukuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $285 per month, with Tsukuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

00:03 12:03 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

230,398

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Tsukuba 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Tsukuba

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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsukuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 217% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% 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 $466 in Tsukuba. 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 $1,104 in Tsukuba – a 217% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tsukuba runs roughly 78% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,104 in Tsukuba versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tsukuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Singapore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.