Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Tokyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Tokyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Cheltenham versus $1,701 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,213 in Cheltenham versus $2,691 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,240 in Cheltenham versus $3,682 in Tokyo.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 28% more expensive than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheltenham 64% above, Tokyo 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 £15.38

$8.09 ¥1,315

155.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 £61.6

$48.77 ¥7,926

69.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.22

$5.48 ¥891

101.64%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.47

$3.60 ¥584

29.72%

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

$2.08 £1.55

$1.27 ¥206

63.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.86 ¥140

54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 £3.95

$4.08 ¥662

30.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 £4.96

$5.44 ¥883

22.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.62 ¥264

-9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 £0.52

$1.51 ¥245

-54.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$5.34 ¥868

-61.24%

Eggs

$4.55 £3.38

$2.32 ¥377

96.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.72 £3.51

$15.96 ¥2,594

-70.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 £5.26

$8.12 ¥1,319

-12.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 £11.82

$22.55 ¥3,665

-29.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$5.52 ¥897

-62.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.59 ¥421

-33.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$5.92 ¥962

-65.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.67

$6.07 ¥987

-40.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$3.24 ¥527

-58.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$3.39 ¥551

-46.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$1.45 ¥235

-25.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$0.87 ¥142

81.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.22 £12.81

$4.25 ¥691

305.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.41

$9.31 ¥1,514

21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.05 ¥334

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.87 ¥466

-31.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 £2.64

$1.48 ¥241

140.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 £42.06

$84.6 ¥13.8K

-33.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 £3.02

$3.38 ¥549

20.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 £1.03

$2.91 ¥473

-52.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.73 £19.14

$26.24 ¥4,265

-1.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.20 ¥195

58.33%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

65.00%

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

$41.6K £30.9K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

141.79%

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

$262 £195

$168 ¥27.2K

56.32%

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

$15.81 £11.76

$25.82 ¥4,196

-38.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.79 £32.57

$33.50 ¥5,445

30.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.78 £32.56

$70.9 ¥11.5K

-38.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.35

$20.25 ¥3,290

15.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.30

$13.07 ¥2,125

5.97%

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

$1,411 £1,049

$495 ¥80.4K

185.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K £10.2K

$15.7K ¥2.6M

-12.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 £83.1

$61.5 ¥10.0K

81.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.74 £26.59

$41.66 ¥6,771

-14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$65.9 ¥10.7K

70.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 £73.5

$91.1 ¥14.8K

8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 £867

$1,120 ¥182.0K

4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 £702

$606 ¥98.6K

55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 £1,682

$2,680 ¥435.6K

-15.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 £1,247

$1,342 ¥218.0K

24.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,683 £4,227

$10.4K ¥1.7M

-45.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,809 £4,321

$4,986 ¥810.3K

16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,756 £3,538

$2,330 ¥378.6K

104.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

1.72

236.63%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,166 in Cheltenham and $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 104% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Cheltenham vs $49.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $383, with Cheltenham cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cheltenham vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Cheltenham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,166 in Cheltenham versus $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tokyo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $83.0 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,186 per month in Cheltenham versus $1,701 in Tokyo – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,701 in Tokyo versus $2,186 in Cheltenham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tokyo but tight or insufficient in Cheltenham. The gap between the two cities makes Tokyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tokyo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cheltenham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cheltenham and Tokyo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tokyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.