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 $2,182 per month in Australia vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $2,638 in Japan, rent included.

Australia costs about 76% more than Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Japan is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,579–$2,759) than Japan ($1,019–$1,684), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.94

$6.75 ¥1,082

139.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$111

$34.81 ¥5,580

125.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.45

$5.62 ¥901

68.68%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$5.05

$3.41 ¥547

4.40%

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

$2.60 A$3.68

$1.09 ¥175

138.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.14

$0.84 ¥134

163.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.18

$3.43 ¥550

88.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.20

$4.14 ¥663

73.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.55 ¥249

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.53 ¥245

65.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$4.53 ¥726

-55.41%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.34

$2.27 ¥363

96.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.57

$12.11 ¥1,942

-26.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.89

$7.00 ¥1,122

19.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.44

$19.78 ¥3,170

-30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.58

$5.35 ¥858

-39.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.03

$2.62 ¥420

8.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$4.67 ¥749

-36.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.21

$4.74 ¥760

-7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.47

$2.85 ¥457

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.00

$2.68 ¥430

-21.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.34 ¥215

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.25

$0.95 ¥152

66.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$43.42

$4.13 ¥662

641.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.19

$8.28 ¥1,328

71.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.45

$2.17 ¥348

109.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.96

$2.94 ¥472

67.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.10

$1.56 ¥250

85.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$138

$58.7 ¥9,412

65.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.02

$4.25 ¥682

-16.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.48

$2.89 ¥463

-39.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$54.1

$23.36 ¥3,745

63.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.64

$1.17 ¥188

-0.85%

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

$28.8K A$40.9K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

22.75%

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

$23.2K A$32.9K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

32.29%

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

$179 A$254

$175 ¥28.0K

2.44%

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

$26.75 A$37.94

$27.13 ¥4,349

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$76.2

$34.95 ¥5,603

53.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$68.7

$59.0 ¥9,452

-17.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.95

$15.90 ¥2,548

6.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.31

$12.97 ¥2,079

4.93%

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

$1,605 A$2,276

$341 ¥54.6K

370.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-5.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$101

$48.49 ¥7,773

47.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.0

$32.95 ¥5,281

51.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$142

$63.1 ¥10.1K

58.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$155

$86.9 ¥13.9K

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,965

$605 ¥96.9K

129.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,527

$418 ¥67.0K

157.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,240

$1,362 ¥218.4K

67.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,492

$844 ¥135.2K

108.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.6K

$5,620 ¥900.9K

32.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,968

$3,060 ¥490.4K

83.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,773

$1,859 ¥298.0K

118.92%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Japan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $484 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $1,094 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $1,862 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 155% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 120% more in Australia.

Public transport is 24% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 110% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 60% 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 60% 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.