Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Wonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Wonju: $1,526 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
$3,500
/mo nomad
Wonju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,526
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Wonju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $1,526 in Wonju.

  • Singapore $3,500
  • Wonju $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $2,418 in Wonju.

  • Singapore $5,265
  • Wonju $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $3,309 in Wonju.

  • Singapore $7,030
  • Wonju $3,309

Living in Singapore is roughly 129% more expensive than in Wonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Wonju 13% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 SGD 15.05
$7.45 ₩9,900
57.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 SGD 90.4
$48.19 ₩64.1K
46.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 SGD 10.94
$6.69 ₩8,892
27.80%
Cappuccino
$5.20 SGD 6.66
$3.65 ₩4,859
42.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SGD 2.27
$1.79 ₩2,381
-1.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 SGD 1.58
$1.45 ₩1,923
-15.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.26 SGD 10.58
$3.70 ₩4,926
123.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.17 SGD 13.01
$4.32 ₩5,740
135.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.04 SGD 3.89
$2.25 ₩2,998
35.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 SGD 3.26
$3.20 ₩4,252
-20.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 SGD 3.66
$3.08 ₩4,095
-7.14%
Eggs
$3.53 SGD 4.51
$2.69 ₩3,579
31.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.12 SGD 27.02
$10.93 ₩14.5K
93.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.90 SGD 12.67
$10.41 ₩13.8K
-4.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.42 SGD 32.53
$24.90 ₩33.1K
2.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.57 SGD 5.85
$11.04 ₩14.7K
-58.61%
Banana (1kg)
$3.13 SGD 4.00
$3.54 ₩4,712
-11.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.72 SGD 6.04
$7.98 ₩10.6K
-40.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 SGD 2.85
$6.04 ₩8,034
-63.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 SGD 3.29
$5.80 ₩7,718
-55.69%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 SGD 2.93
$3.40 ₩4,527
-32.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 SGD 2.39
$2.86 ₩3,807
-34.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SGD 1.84
$1.29 ₩1,711
11.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 SGD 17.88
$3.42 ₩4,550
308.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.48 SGD 30.05
$18.38 ₩24.4K
27.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 SGD 5.80
$2.35 ₩3,131
93.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 SGD 5.68
$3.39 ₩4,513
30.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 SGD 2.01
$1.10 ₩1,467
42.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 SGD 120
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 SGD 4.66
$3.63 ₩4,825
0.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 SGD 0.97
$0.71 ₩950
7.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.14 SGD 20.66
$16.85 ₩22.4K
-4.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 SGD 3.14
$1.25 ₩1,656
96.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$155.2K SGD 198.5K
$29.4K ₩39.1M
427.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$148.5K SGD 190.0K
$33.6K ₩44.7M
341.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 SGD 220
$196 ₩260.7K
-12.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 SGD 15.86
$35.94 ₩47.8K
-65.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.21 SGD 33.54
$26.92 ₩35.8K
-2.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$108 SGD 138
$52.6 ₩69.9K
105.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.31 SGD 15.75
$12.15 ₩16.2K
1.32%
Cinema Ticket
$11.64 SGD 14.90
$11.79 ₩15.7K
-1.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,481 SGD 1,895
$491 ₩652.3K
201.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K SGD 36.3K
$21.9K ₩29.1M
29.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 SGD 103
$104 ₩138.1K
-22.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 SGD 64.1
$64.1 ₩85.2K
-21.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 SGD 143
$92.1 ₩122.5K
21.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 SGD 165
$129 ₩171.3K
0.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,015 SGD 3,858
$494 ₩657.0K
510.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 SGD 2,778
$359 ₩477.3K
504.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,842 SGD 7,475
$1,181 ₩1.6M
394.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,044 SGD 5,174
$744 ₩988.6K
443.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$23.8K SGD 30.4K
$7,157 ₩9.5M
232.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.8K SGD 21.4K
$5,494 ₩7.3M
204.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Singapore
Wonju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,385 SGD 5,611
-
-
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 Wonju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Singapore
$2.2K
Wonju
$359 83.5% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Singapore
$458
Wonju
$482 5.3% $24
Eating Out
Singapore
$256
Wonju
$164 36.1% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Singapore
$210
Wonju
$259 23.2% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Singapore
$167
Wonju
$175 4.7% $7.9
Sport & Entertainment
Singapore
$131
Wonju
$76 42% $55
Getting Around
Singapore
$107
Wonju
$12 * 89.2% $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 $494 in Wonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $48.00 in Wonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $458 vs $482, with Singapore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇰🇷 Wonju
🕒 Local time
12:22 12:22 PM
13:22 1:22 PM
1 h ahead of Singapore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,535,002 Capital
340,196
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Singapore Wonju 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Singapore
  • Wonju

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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wonju cheaper than Singapore?
Wonju is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 129% 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 $2,290 in Wonju 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 Wonju?
Rent for a central apartment: $3,015 in Singapore versus $494 in Wonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $491 in Wonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Singapore or in Wonju?
Dining out is cheaper in Wonju – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Singapore or in Wonju?
At $1,526 in Wonju versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wonju but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Wonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Singapore or in Wonju?
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.
Which city is safer, Singapore or Wonju?
Safety-wise, Singapore and Wonju 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 Wonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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