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: $2,148 in Cheltenham versus $1,684 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Cheltenham versus $2,693 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Cheltenham versus $3,703 in Tokyo.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheltenham 60% above, Tokyo 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £15.00

$8.09 ¥1,294

148.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 £59.9

$48.31 ¥7,727

66.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 £8.22

$5.69 ¥910

94.02%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.39

$3.57 ¥571

27.45%

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

$2.04 £1.52

$1.26 ¥202

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$0.93 ¥148

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 £4.15

$4.25 ¥681

31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.10

$5.30 ¥848

29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.58 ¥252

-7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 £0.53

$1.59 ¥254

-55.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.47

$5.32 ¥851

-62.78%

Eggs

$4.45 £3.32

$2.41 ¥385

84.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 £3.53

$16.04 ¥2,565

-70.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 £5.52

$7.85 ¥1,255

-5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 £11.58

$23.16 ¥3,704

-32.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$5.23 ¥836

-60.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.57 ¥412

-33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$5.73 ¥917

-63.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$5.97 ¥955

-42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$3.21 ¥514

-58.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$3.51 ¥562

-47.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.80

$1.48 ¥236

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.17

$0.90 ¥143

74.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.02 £12.68

$4.27 ¥684

298.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 £8.21

$9.39 ¥1,501

17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.15 ¥343

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.88 ¥461

-32.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 £2.60

$1.48 ¥237

136.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 £42.65

$84.9 ¥13.6K

-32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 £2.97

$3.49 ¥559

14.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 £1.04

$2.87 ¥458

-51.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.82 £19.23

$26.77 ¥4,281

-3.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.22 ¥195

61.48%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

62.97%

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

$42.0K £31.2K

$17.4K ¥2.8M

140.68%

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

$257 £191

$164 ¥26.2K

56.89%

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

$15.72 £11.71

$26.63 ¥4,259

-40.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.39 £31.57

$33.94 ¥5,428

24.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.97 £32.75

$69.0 ¥11.0K

-36.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.08 £17.93

$20.11 ¥3,217

19.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 £9.94

$13.06 ¥2,088

2.14%

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

$1,374 £1,023

$506 ¥81.0K

171.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K £10.2K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

-12.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 £83.4

$60.1 ¥9,611

86.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.79 £26.65

$40.31 ¥6,448

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.3

$64.7 ¥10.3K

72.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £72.4

$91.2 ¥14.6K

6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 £900

$1,094 ¥175.0K

10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 £698

$596 ¥95.4K

57.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 £1,691

$2,609 ¥417.4K

-12.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,339 ¥214.2K

22.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,704 £4,248

$10.8K ¥1.7M

-47.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,779 £4,304

$4,974 ¥795.6K

16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,932 £2,929

$2,501 ¥400.1K

57.20%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Cheltenham and $1,094 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 57% 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: $80.0 in Cheltenham vs $48.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $382, 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. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cheltenham pays 57% more on average, 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: $1,209 in Cheltenham versus $1,094 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 $48.00 versus $80.0 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,148 per month in Cheltenham versus $1,684 in Tokyo – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,684 in Tokyo versus $2,148 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.