Cost of Living · KR vs SG
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇸🇬 Singapore: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,390 in South Korea vs $1,772 in Singapore — 27.5% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Singapore
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 8.22%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 8.23%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 8.24%
Closest to South Korea prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +31.91%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +31.91%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +31.91%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Singapore | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $937 | $1,236 (1,615 SGD) | +31.91% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $750 | $989 (1,292 SGD) | +31.91% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,713 | $2,260 (2,954 SGD) | +31.91% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $13.70 (18 SGD) | +24.32% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $45.90 | $57.06 (75 SGD) | +24.31% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.04 | $8.58 (11 SGD) | +21.88% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.77 | $0.90 (1 SGD) | +16.88% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.24 | $2.62 (3 SGD) | +16.96% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.38 | $2.79 (4 SGD) | +17.23% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.00 | $8.20 (11 SGD) | +17.14% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.80 | $3.28 (4 SGD) | +17.14% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.36 | $3.93 (5 SGD) | +16.96% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.40 | $9.84 (13 SGD) | +17.14% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.40 | $1.64 (2 SGD) | +17.14% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.67 | $4.57 (6 SGD) | +24.52% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.69 | $7.24 (9 SGD) | +8.22% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.06 | $3.80 (5 SGD) | +24.18% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.61 | $1.89 (2 SGD) | +17.39% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $41.60 | $50.70 (66 SGD) | +21.88% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.76 | $2.15 (3 SGD) | +22.16% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.45 | $3.04 (4 SGD) | +24.08% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.10 | $1.37 (2 SGD) | +24.55% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.79 | $0.86 (1 SGD) | +8.86% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $128 | $156 (204 SGD) | +21.88% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $44.80 | $54.60 (71 SGD) | +21.88% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $28.80 | $35.10 (46 SGD) | +21.88% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $30.60 | $38.04 (50 SGD) | +24.31% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.57 | $10.65 (14 SGD) | +24.27% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $18.36 | $22.83 (30 SGD) | +24.35% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $46.01 | $49.80 (65 SGD) | +8.24% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $75.29 | $81.49 (107 SGD) | +8.23% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $153 | $190 (249 SGD) | +24.3% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Singapore than South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,772 in Singapore versus $1,390 in South Korea — 27.5% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Singapore?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $4.57 in Singapore (≈ 5.97 SGD), versus about $3.67 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Singapore compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,236/month in Singapore versus $937/month in South Korea (+31.91%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.