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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $2,639 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 76% higher than in Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Japan is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,575–$2,824) than in Japan ($1,022–$1,701), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.11

$6.86 ¥1,114

136.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$34.82 ¥5,657

121.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.52

$5.57 ¥906

70.02%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.94

$3.25 ¥528

6.46%

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

$2.68 A$3.83

$1.09 ¥177

145.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.12

$0.83 ¥135

163.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.44

$3.38 ¥549

95.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.14

$4.24 ¥689

67.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.52 ¥247

1.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.53

$1.61 ¥261

53.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$4.60 ¥748

-54.35%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.06

$2.21 ¥359

91.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.24

$12.07 ¥1,961

-29.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.28

$6.73 ¥1,094

27.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.73

$19.13 ¥3,107

-27.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$5.35 ¥870

-40.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.88

$2.59 ¥421

5.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$4.64 ¥754

-36.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.15

$5.00 ¥813

-13.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.52

$2.93 ¥476

-15.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$2.59 ¥421

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.37 ¥222

59.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$0.95 ¥154

61.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.69

$4.09 ¥664

665.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.91

$8.80 ¥1,430

58.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.37

$2.11 ¥343

111.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.16

$2.83 ¥459

77.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.29

$1.50 ¥243

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$59.3 ¥9,636

61.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

$4.28 ¥695

-16.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$2.96 ¥482

-40.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.1

$23.97 ¥3,895

58.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.18 ¥192

-2.54%

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

$29.4K A$41.9K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

26.46%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

32.05%

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

$174 A$248

$175 ¥28.5K

-1.00%

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

$26.88 A$38.39

$26.45 ¥4,298

1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.3

$34.77 ¥5,650

51.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.1

$58.7 ¥9,540

-18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.57

$15.73 ¥2,555

4.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.61

$13.02 ¥2,116

5.45%

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

$1,555 A$2,220

$347 ¥56.4K

347.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-5.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.4

$49.15 ¥7,986

41.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.2

$32.83 ¥5,335

56.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$62.7 ¥10.2K

61.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$160

$87.0 ¥14.1K

28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,941

$607 ¥98.7K

123.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,542

$418 ¥68.0K

158.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,285

$1,361 ¥221.1K

69.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,501

$829 ¥134.8K

111.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$5,522 ¥897.3K

37.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,228

$3,030 ¥492.4K

90.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,745

$1,807 ¥293.6K

122.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

1.82

248.90%

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

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $485 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $1,120 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $1,839 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 154% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 120% more in Australia.

Public transport is 24% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 105% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 62% 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 62% 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.