Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asahikawa and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Asahikawa: $1,189 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Asahikawa
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Asahikawa Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,189

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asahikawa and in Tokyo

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

A single person spends $1,189 per month in Asahikawa vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Asahikawa $1,189
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $1,948 per month in Asahikawa vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Asahikawa $1,948
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,706 per month in Asahikawa vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Asahikawa $2,706
Tokyo $3,489

Asahikawa is about 30% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Asahikawa sits 13% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 ¥996

$7.72 ¥1,218

-18.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 ¥5,138

$37.51 ¥5,915

-13.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥717

$5.01 ¥789

-9.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥489

$3.68 ¥580

-15.76%

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

$1.26 ¥199

$1.51 ¥239

-16.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.85 ¥133

-16.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 ¥452

$3.77 ¥595

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ¥473

$5.75 ¥907

-47.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.49 ¥235

2.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥239

$1.73 ¥273

-12.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 ¥623

$5.80 ¥914

-31.90%

Eggs

$2.26 ¥357

$2.25 ¥354

0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ¥1,693

$11.50 ¥1,813

-6.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 ¥1,060

$6.96 ¥1,098

-3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 ¥2,569

$16.39 ¥2,585

-0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 ¥504

$4.73 ¥746

-32.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.28 ¥359

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 ¥388

$4.26 ¥672

-42.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 ¥728

$5.37 ¥846

-13.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 ¥430

$3.29 ¥519

-17.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 ¥365

$3.00 ¥473

-23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.15 ¥181

19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$0.80 ¥126

8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥621

$3.89 ¥614

1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥1,208

$9.72 ¥1,533

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥277

$1.70 ¥269

3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥296

$2.66 ¥419

-29.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.25 ¥197

31.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.1 ¥8,379

$62.4 ¥9,845

-14.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥484

$3.15 ¥496

-2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 ¥422

$3.14 ¥494

-14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.03 ¥3,316

$18.98 ¥2,992

10.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥184

$1.11 ¥175

5.41%

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

$22.6K ¥3.6M

$22.5K ¥3.5M

0.40%

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

$13.6K ¥2.2M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-11.00%

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

$154 ¥24.3K

$147 ¥23.2K

4.88%

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

$25.29 ¥3,987

$23.17 ¥3,654

9.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 ¥5,406

$30.10 ¥4,746

13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ¥8,719

$57.4 ¥9,057

-3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,175

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 ¥1,923

$13.39 ¥2,111

-8.89%

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

$630 ¥99.3K

$1,410 ¥222.4K

-55.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ¥1.8M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-39.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 ¥8,102

$55.3 ¥8,724

-7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.99 ¥4,413

$32.43 ¥5,114

-13.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.6 ¥9,403

$64.4 ¥10.2K

-7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$72.1 ¥11.4K

41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥96.4K

$1,329 ¥209.6K

-54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 ¥45.8K

$729 ¥114.9K

-60.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 ¥155.7K

$2,622 ¥413.5K

-62.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 ¥127.6K

$1,401 ¥220.9K

-42.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 ¥702.5K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-58.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,602 ¥410.3K

$5,054 ¥796.9K

-48.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.25

-1.78%

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

Last update for Asahikawa: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Asahikawa

$291 24.5%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 12.5% $36

Accommodation & Living

Asahikawa

$291 24.4%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 151% $438

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asahikawa

$214 18%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 6.3% $13

Eating Out

Asahikawa

$130 10.9%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 24% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Asahikawa

$109 9.1%

Tokyo

$101 6% 7% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Asahikawa

$80 6.7%

Tokyo

$84 5% 5.7% $4.5

Getting Around

Asahikawa

$76 6.4%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 13.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Asahikawa versus $1,329 in Tokyo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Asahikawa versus $38 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $327 – making Asahikawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

Same time as Asahikawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

329,306

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Asahikawa Tokyo 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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

Asahikawa vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,189 in Asahikawa, $1,688 in Tokyo – Asahikawa comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,784 per month in Asahikawa and $2,533 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Asahikawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Asahikawa and $1,410 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,189 in Asahikawa and $1,688 in Tokyo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Asahikawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Asahikawa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.