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: $2,346 in Cheltenham versus $1,653 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,549 in Cheltenham versus $2,585 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,752 in Cheltenham versus $3,517 in Tokyo.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 42% more expensive than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheltenham 71% above, Tokyo 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.91 £17.68

$7.31 ¥1,137

227.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 £78.6

$37.11 ¥5,776

186.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 £8.69

$4.98 ¥774

135.94%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.47

$3.65 ¥567

28.77%

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

$2.76 £2.04

$1.69 ¥262

63.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.33

$0.92 ¥144

95.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 £5.74

$3.65 ¥568

112.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.10

$5.06 ¥788

36.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.55 ¥242

10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.72 ¥268

-2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$5.92 ¥922

-64.53%

Eggs

$4.49 £3.32

$2.23 ¥347

101.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 £6.16

$11.36 ¥1,769

-26.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 £7.26

$7.67 ¥1,194

28.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 £9.92

$20.11 ¥3,130

-33.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.41

$5.18 ¥806

-37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.11

$2.51 ¥391

-39.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 £1.44

$4.64 ¥722

-57.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 £2.53

$5.91 ¥920

-41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$3.54 ¥551

-53.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$3.44 ¥536

-55.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.22 ¥189

5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.86 ¥133

69.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 £17.56

$3.97 ¥618

498.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 £8.15

$9.53 ¥1,484

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.12

$1.78 ¥277

60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 £2.20

$3.03 ¥472

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$1.23 ¥191

181.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 £70.2

$67.6 ¥10.5K

40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 £2.67

$3.16 ¥492

14.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 £1.21

$3.04 ¥473

-46.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 £20.11

$18.14 ¥2,824

49.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.04 ¥162

78.85%

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

$39.0K £28.8K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

79.64%

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

$42.1K £31.1K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

185.63%

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

$345 £255

$157 ¥24.4K

119.76%

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

$17.09 £12.63

$22.07 ¥3,435

-22.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 £37.63

$30.21 ¥4,702

68.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.41 £33.57

$62.5 ¥9,734

-27.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 £30.33

$25.32 ¥3,941

62.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 £10.35

$12.30 ¥1,914

13.82%

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

$2,048 £1,514

$1,300 ¥202.3K

57.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K £18.5K

$17.7K ¥2.8M

41.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.5

$51.2 ¥7,970

102.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 £37.23

$32.35 ¥5,035

55.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.6

$62.6 ¥9,740

76.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 £73.7

$74.6 ¥11.6K

33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £888

$1,230 ¥191.5K

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £688

$660 ¥102.7K

41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 £1,662

$2,368 ¥368.5K

-5.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 £1,212

$1,357 ¥211.3K

20.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,902 £4,363

$8,747 ¥1.4M

-32.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,719 £4,227

$3,944 ¥613.9K

44.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,877 £3,605

$2,843 ¥442.5K

71.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

1.93

187.05%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: August 29, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Cheltenham and $1,230 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 72% 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: $106 in Cheltenham vs $37.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $354, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $1,201 in Cheltenham versus $1,230 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 $37.00 versus $106 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,346 per month in Cheltenham versus $1,653 in Tokyo – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,653 in Tokyo versus $2,346 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 42% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.