Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Utsunomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Utsunomiya: $1,212 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Utsunomiya
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,212
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Utsunomiya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,212 in Utsunomiya.

  • Singapore $3,500
  • Utsunomiya $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $1,948 in Utsunomiya.

  • Singapore $5,265
  • Utsunomiya $1,948

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $2,685 in Utsunomiya.

  • Singapore $7,030
  • Utsunomiya $2,685

Living in Singapore is roughly 189% more expensive than in Utsunomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Utsunomiya is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 SGD 15.05
$6.11 ¥965
92.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 SGD 90.4
$17.09 ¥2,701
313.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 SGD 10.94
$4.72 ¥745
81.14%
Cappuccino
$5.20 SGD 6.66
$3.52 ¥556
47.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SGD 2.27
$1.06 ¥167
66.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$0.81 ¥128
51.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.26 SGD 10.58
$3.09 ¥488
167.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.17 SGD 13.01
$1.93 ¥305
426.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.04 SGD 3.89
$1.38 ¥218
120.29%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 SGD 3.26
$1.72 ¥271
48.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$5.59 ¥883
-48.84%
Eggs
$3.53 SGD 4.51
$2.22 ¥350
59.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.12 SGD 27.02
$11.27 ¥1,780
87.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 SGD 12.67
$6.80 ¥1,075
45.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.42 SGD 32.53
$16.84 ¥2,660
50.95%
Apples (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$4.61 ¥728
-0.87%
Banana (1kg)
$3.13 SGD 4.00
$2.35 ¥372
33.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 SGD 6.04
$4.38 ¥693
7.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 SGD 2.85
$5.36 ¥848
-58.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$3.41 ¥539
-24.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 SGD 2.93
$2.97 ¥470
-22.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 SGD 2.39
$1.20 ¥190
55.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SGD 1.84
$0.76 ¥120
89.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 SGD 17.88
$3.95 ¥623
253.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.48 SGD 30.05
$9.52 ¥1,504
146.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 SGD 5.80
$1.71 ¥270
165.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 SGD 5.68
$2.64 ¥417
68.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 SGD 2.01
$1.58 ¥249
-0.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 SGD 120
$54.9 ¥8,670
70.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$3.07 ¥484
18.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$3.16 ¥500
-75.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.14 SGD 20.66
$18.83 ¥2,975
-14.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 SGD 3.14
$1.06 ¥167
131.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
$21.7K ¥3.4M
616.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
$15.3K ¥2.4M
867.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$146 ¥23.0K
17.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.86
$21.91 ¥3,461
-43.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.21 SGD 33.54
$30.44 ¥4,808
-13.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$52.1 ¥8,234
107.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.31 SGD 15.75
$12.79 ¥2,020
-3.75%
Cinema Ticket
$11.64 SGD 14.90
$12.84 ¥2,029
-9.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,481 SGD 1,895
$524 ¥82.8K
182.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
$18.2K ¥2.9M
55.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 SGD 103
$55.1 ¥8,712
46.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 SGD 64.1
$32.36 ¥5,113
54.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$65.7 ¥10.4K
70.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 SGD 165
$71.3 ¥11.3K
80.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,015 SGD 3,858
$509 ¥80.4K
492.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 SGD 2,778
$298 ¥47.1K
628.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,842 SGD 7,475
$939 ¥148.4K
521.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,044 SGD 5,174
$803 ¥126.9K
403.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
$3,897 ¥615.7K
510.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
$1,781 ¥281.4K
840.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Utsunomiya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.44
2.25
8.44%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Utsunomiya
$298 86.3% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Utsunomiya
$325 29% $133
Eating Out
Singapore
$256
Utsunomiya
$132 48.4% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Utsunomiya
$198 5.8% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$167
Utsunomiya
$101 39.6% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$131
Utsunomiya
$78 40.8% $54
Getting Around
Singapore
$107
Utsunomiya
$80 25.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $509 in Utsunomiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $17.00 in Utsunomiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $325 per month, with Utsunomiya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇯🇵 Utsunomiya
🕒 Local time
17:28 5:28 PM
18:28 6:28 PM
1 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
519,217
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Utsunomiya 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Utsunomiya

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 Utsunomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Utsunomiya cheaper than Singapore?
Utsunomiya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 189% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $5,251 in Singapore and $1,818 in Utsunomiya 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.
What is the rent difference between Singapore and Utsunomiya?
Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $509 in Utsunomiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Singapore and in Utsunomiya?
All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $1,212 in Utsunomiya – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Utsunomiya runs roughly 71% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Singapore or in Utsunomiya?
At $1,212 in Utsunomiya versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Utsunomiya but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Utsunomiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Singapore or Utsunomiya more family-friendly?
For families, Utsunomiya 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.
Which city is safer, Singapore or Utsunomiya?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Utsunomiya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Utsunomiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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