Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Ulsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulsan: $1,339 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Ulsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,339 in Ulsan.

Singapore $3,500
Ulsan $1,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $2,185 in Ulsan.

Singapore $5,265
Ulsan $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $3,030 in Ulsan.

Singapore $7,030
Ulsan $3,030

Living in Singapore is roughly 161% more expensive than in Ulsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Ulsan is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$7.62 ₩10.1K

54.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$44.63 ₩59.3K

58.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$5.93 ₩7,882

44.18%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.32 ₩4,410

56.63%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.88 ₩1,175

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.47 ₩619

161.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$3.01 ₩4,006

174.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$4.38 ₩5,826

132.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$2.36 ₩3,139

28.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$3.25 ₩4,315

-21.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$3.16 ₩4,207

-9.49%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$2.73 ₩3,634

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.88 ₩14.5K

94.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$10.63 ₩14.1K

-6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$24.54 ₩32.6K

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-59.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$3.74 ₩4,975

-16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$8.09 ₩10.8K

-41.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$6.05 ₩8,048

-63.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$6.01 ₩7,992

-57.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$3.26 ₩4,328

-29.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.89 ₩3,844

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.28 ₩1,707

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$3.12 ₩4,154

347.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$18.52 ₩24.6K

26.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$2.45 ₩3,264

85.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$3.44 ₩4,577

29.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.14 ₩1,511

37.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.89 ₩3,849

25.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.78 ₩1,040

-2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$16.96 ₩22.6K

-4.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.43 ₩1,899

71.33%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$30.0K ₩39.9M

416.90%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$34.1K ₩45.4M

335.06%

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

$172 SGD 220

$197 ₩261.8K

-12.87%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$37.06 ₩49.3K

-66.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$27.21 ₩36.2K

-3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$60.4 ₩80.3K

78.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$10.30 ₩13.7K

13.01%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$263 ₩349.3K

463.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

28.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$51.5 ₩68.5K

56.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$45.56 ₩60.6K

9.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$61.0 ₩81.2K

83.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$75.0 ₩99.7K

71.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$373 ₩495.3K

709.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$244 ₩324.7K

789.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$761 ₩1.0M

667.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$648 ₩861.8K

523.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,483 ₩6.0M

430.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$2,479 ₩3.3M

575.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$2,331 ₩3.1M

88.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

4.22

-42.18%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Ulsan

$244 18.2% 88.8% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Ulsan

$489 36.5% 6.8% $31

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Ulsan

$148 11% 42.2% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Ulsan

$261 19.5% 24.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Ulsan

$105 7.8% 37.2% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Ulsan

$81 6.1% 38.3% $50

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9% 89.4% $96

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $373 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 88% 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 $45.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $458 vs $489, with Singapore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

04:05 4:05 AM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

1,129,827

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Singapore Ulsan 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Ulsan

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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulsan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% 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 $373 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $263 in Ulsan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulsan – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,339 in Ulsan versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulsan but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsan 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 Ulsan 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 Ulsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.