The number may look different. It’s still expensive for most major things there. Virtually US pricing

What they have going for them are

• dignified inexpensive alternatives. Japanese try to live with honor when poor, so gas station food, internet cafe, etc. are respectable
• lively atmosphere so you never want to be lazy. Everyone is kind of “on” instead of ignoring all but the 1% like some places do

• better overall quality than other parts of asia. As close to thriving as anywhere I’ve seen. Never visited Singapore.