Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,276 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,493

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wakayama and in Singapore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wakayama and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Wakayama versus $3,493 in Singapore.

Wakayama $1,276
Singapore $3,493

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,031 in Wakayama versus $5,174 in Singapore.

Wakayama $2,031
Singapore $5,174

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,785 in Wakayama versus $6,855 in Singapore.

Wakayama $2,785
Singapore $6,855

Living in Wakayama costs roughly 63% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wakayama is 6% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,022

$11.74 SGD 15.02

-44.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 ¥4,932

$74.3 SGD 95.1

-57.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥773

$8.76 SGD 11.21

-44.18%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$5.32 SGD 6.80

-53.76%

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

$1.25 ¥197

$1.89 SGD 2.42

-33.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$1.21 SGD 1.55

-28.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥506

$8.46 SGD 10.82

-62.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$9.83 SGD 12.57

-81.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$2.91 SGD 3.72

-46.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥242

$2.52 SGD 3.22

-39.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$2.86 SGD 3.66

49.30%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥334

$3.64 SGD 4.66

-42.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,534

$20.88 SGD 26.71

-23.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$9.92 SGD 12.69

-28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 ¥2,701

$25.77 SGD 32.98

-33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$8.20 ¥1,296

$4.70 SGD 6.02

74.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ¥478

$3.08 SGD 3.94

-1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$4.74 SGD 6.06

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.94 ¥1,255

$2.19 SGD 2.80

262.56%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$2.57 SGD 3.29

56.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.59 ¥726

$2.32 SGD 2.97

97.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.86 SGD 2.39

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$1.39 SGD 1.78

-36.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$13.80 SGD 17.66

-71.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$23.29 SGD 29.81

-59.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ¥393

$4.77 SGD 6.10

-47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$4.69 SGD 6.00

-54.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.60 SGD 2.04

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,496

$96.0 SGD 123

-43.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$3.61 SGD 4.61

-14.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥460

$0.79 SGD 1.02

268.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 ¥2,478

$16.63 SGD 21.28

-5.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$2.56 SGD 3.28

-58.59%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$157.0K SGD 200.8K

-86.00%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$149.8K SGD 191.7K

-89.96%

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

$117 ¥18.4K

$172 SGD 220

-32.03%

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

$23.45 ¥3,705

$12.13 SGD 15.53

93.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 ¥4,968

$28.02 SGD 35.86

12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,109

$108 SGD 138

-52.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.24 SGD 15.67

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ¥1,771

$12.03 SGD 15.39

-6.82%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$1,473 SGD 1,885

-61.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

-48.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ¥7,800

$78.0 SGD 99.9

-36.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 ¥5,596

$50.9 SGD 65.1

-30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,385

$109 SGD 139

-45.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ¥15.6K

$123 SGD 158

-19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$2,917 SGD 3,733

-81.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$2,161 SGD 2,765

-84.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ¥172.7K

$5,769 SGD 7,383

-81.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.5K

$3,849 SGD 4,925

-80.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 ¥664.5K

$23.2K SGD 29.7K

-81.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$16.9K SGD 21.7K

-89.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,965 ¥626.4K

$4,547 SGD 5,818

-12.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

2.44

-31.56%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$382 30%

Singapore

$458 13.1% 19.8% $76

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$337 26.4%

Singapore

$2.2K 61.8% 541% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$172 13.5%

Singapore

$212 6.1% 23.5% $40

Eating Out

Wakayama

$124 9.7%

Singapore

$258 7.4% 108% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$109 8.6%

Singapore

$162 4.7% 48.5% $53

Getting Around

Wakayama

$77 6.1%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 42% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$74 5.8%

Singapore

$132 3.8% 79.1% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Wakayama and $2,917 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 15% 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: $31.00 in Wakayama vs $74.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $458 per month, with Wakayama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

1 h behind Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Wakayama Singapore 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Wakayama
Singapore

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

Wakayama vs Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wakayama is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Singapore. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Wakayama versus $2,917 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,276 per month in Wakayama versus $3,493 in Singapore – a 174% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $1,276 in Wakayama versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wakayama but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Wakayama 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, Wakayama and Singapore 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 Wakayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 174% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.