Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Japan Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Australia vs $1,189 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,664 per month in Australia vs $1,873 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,789 per month in Australia vs $2,557 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 113% higher than in Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while Japan is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,207–$3,344) than in Japan ($757–$1,653), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 A$25.18

$6.12 ¥956

196.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$121

$30.69 ¥4,794

184.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 A$15.32

$4.90 ¥765

125.31%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.56

$3.20 ¥499

25.31%

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

$2.97 A$4.13

$1.17 ¥182

153.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.31

$0.78 ¥122

205.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$10.97

$3.11 ¥486

154.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 A$11.04

$3.66 ¥571

117.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.54

$1.48 ¥231

23.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.00

$1.51 ¥236

90.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.32

$4.82 ¥752

-50.41%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.20

$2.09 ¥327

148.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$13.80

$11.74 ¥1,835

-15.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.69

$6.40 ¥1,000

42.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.20

$17.67 ¥2,761

-13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 A$5.08

$4.76 ¥743

-23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.27

$2.37 ¥371

29.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.49

$4.28 ¥669

-24.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 A$6.52

$4.36 ¥680

7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.02

$2.73 ¥427

6.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.41

$2.62 ¥409

-6.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.46

$1.25 ¥196

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.44

$0.90 ¥140

95.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$53.9

$3.96 ¥619

880.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.13

$8.50 ¥1,328

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.83

$1.97 ¥308

149.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.10

$2.56 ¥400

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.10

$1.40 ¥219

110.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 A$132

$55.3 ¥8,643

71.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.07

$3.54 ¥553

3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.23

$3.11 ¥486

-48.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.79 A$56.6

$19.69 ¥3,075

107.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.80

$1.09 ¥171

19.27%

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

$28.2K A$39.1K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

29.57%

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

$29.5K A$41.0K

$16.2K ¥2.5M

82.56%

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

$204 A$283

$158 ¥24.6K

29.14%

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

$29.50 A$40.94

$24.79 ¥3,873

19.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 A$81.4

$32.46 ¥5,071

80.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$79.6

$52.8 ¥8,253

8.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.45 A$27.00

$17.71 ¥2,767

9.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 A$21.79

$12.61 ¥1,970

24.50%

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

$2,139 A$2,969

$562 ¥87.7K

280.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$25.6K

$11.6K ¥1.8M

59.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 A$112

$45.40 ¥7,092

77.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$79.8

$28.46 ¥4,447

101.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$162

$60.6 ¥9,467

93.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 A$177

$77.8 ¥12.2K

63.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 A$2,269

$573 ¥89.5K

185.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,789

$379 ¥59.2K

240.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 A$3,434

$1,338 ¥209.0K

84.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 A$2,721

$752 ¥117.5K

160.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,452 A$11.7K

$5,535 ¥864.8K

52.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,539

$2,846 ¥444.6K

116.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,644

$2,055 ¥321.0K

97.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

2.05

188.78%

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

Last update for Australia: August 31, 2026

Last update for Japan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,423 in Australia vs $490 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,824 in Canberra and $1,230 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $3,932 in Australia vs $1,876 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 190% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 158% more in Australia.

Public transport is 48% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 110% higher in Australia.

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

Australia vs Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Japan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 89% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Japan, contributing to the overall 89% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Japan, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Japan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.