Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Tsushima Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsushima Island: $1,243 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Tsushima Island
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Tsushima Island Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Tsushima Island

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Tsushima Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,243 in Tsushima Island.

Singapore $3,500
Tsushima Island $1,243

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,932 in Tsushima Island.

Singapore $5,265
Tsushima Island $1,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,621 in Tsushima Island.

Singapore $7,030
Tsushima Island $2,621

Living in Singapore is roughly 182% more expensive than in Tsushima Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Tsushima Island is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.05 ¥1,115

66.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$34.88 ¥5,511

102.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.41 ¥855

58.04%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.10 ¥489

67.74%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.09 ¥172

62.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.76 ¥121

61.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$2.14 ¥338

285.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$3.04 ¥480

234.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.51 ¥239

101.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.65 ¥261

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$4.90 ¥774

-41.63%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.32 ¥366

52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.15 ¥1,604

108.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$6.14 ¥970

61.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$15.73 ¥2,485

61.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$5.23 ¥826

-12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.55 ¥402

22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$4.07 ¥644

15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.65 ¥735

-52.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.31 ¥523

-22.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.68 ¥424

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$1.38 ¥218

35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.88 ¥139

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$4.21 ¥665

231.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$6.52 ¥1,031

260.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.01 ¥317

125.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.30 ¥364

93.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.67 ¥264

-5.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$55.2 ¥8,717

69.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$3.45 ¥546

5.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$2.91 ¥460

-73.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$21.07 ¥3,329

-23.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.24 ¥196

97.58%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$23.1K ¥3.6M

572.51%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

764.23%

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

$172 SGD 220

$139 ¥21.9K

23.48%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$26.86 ¥4,244

-53.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$34.31 ¥5,420

-23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$58.7 ¥9,269

84.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$13.77 ¥2,176

-10.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$13.36 ¥2,111

-12.87%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$283 ¥44.7K

423.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

112.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$42.68 ¥6,742

88.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$29.86 ¥4,717

67.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$59.3 ¥9,365

88.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$90.5 ¥14.3K

42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$463 ¥73.1K

551.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$334 ¥52.8K

549.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$877 ¥138.6K

565.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$657 ¥103.8K

515.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$2,841 ¥448.8K

737.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$1,775 ¥280.5K

843.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

1.81

34.81%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tsushima Island: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Tsushima Island

$334 26.9% 84.6% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Tsushima Island

$309 24.9% 32.5% $149

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Tsushima Island

$134 10.8% 47.6% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Tsushima Island

$200 16.1% 4.8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Tsushima Island

$100 8.1% 40.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Tsushima Island

$85 6.9% 35% $46

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Tsushima Island

$80 6.4% 25.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $463 in Tsushima Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $35.00 in Tsushima Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $309 per month, with Tsushima Island cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Tsushima Island

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

28,000

💱 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 Tsushima Island 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Tsushima Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsushima Island is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,864 in Tsushima Island to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $463 in Tsushima Island. 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 $1,243 in Tsushima Island – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tsushima Island runs roughly 70% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,243 in Tsushima Island versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsushima Island but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Tsushima Island 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 Tsushima Island 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 Tsushima Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.