Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: language โ Osaka 3 vs Singapore 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Osaka | Singapore | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | S$ 8$6.15 | Singapore โ9% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 600$4.05 | S$ 5$3.85 | Singapore โ5% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | S$ 45$34.6 | Osaka โ32% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 500$3.38 | S$ 6.5$5 | Osaka โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 550$3.72 | S$ 13$10 | Osaka โ63% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 1,200$8.11 | S$ 25$19.2 | Osaka โ58% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 130$0.88 | S$ 1.6$1.23 | Osaka โ29% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 180$1.22 | S$ 2.2$1.69 | Osaka โ28% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 2,200$14.9 | S$ 12$9.23 | Singapore โ38% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 900$6.08 | S$ 9$6.92 | Osaka โ12% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 210$1.42 | S$ 1.5$1.15 | Singapore โ19% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | S$ 20$15.4 | Osaka โ34% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 13,000$87.8 | S$ 200$154 | Osaka โ43% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 85,000$574 | S$ 3,300$2,538 | Osaka โ77% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 900$6.08 | S$ 5$3.85 | Singapore โ37% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | S$ 15$11.5 | Singapore โ32% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | S$ 20$15.4 | Singapore โ35% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | S$ 60$46.2 | Osaka โ27% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 8,500$57.4 | S$ 70$53.8 | Singapore โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | S$ 40$30.8 | Osaka โ67% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Osaka is 51% cheaper than Singapore. Daily budget $181 vs $249; a month $2,585 vs $7,084.
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Osaka 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Osaka is about $2,585 and Singapore about $7,084 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.