Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Japan Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in China versus $1,189 in Japan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,145 in China versus $1,873 in Japan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,570 in China versus $2,557 in Japan.

Living in China costs about 40% less than in Japan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Japan 13% lower.

China ($458–$1,247) and Japan ($757–$1,653) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.42

$6.12 ¥956

-52.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.13 ¥148

$30.69 ¥4,794

-27.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.57

$4.90 ¥765

8.37%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.04

$3.20 ¥499

-6.56%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.17 ¥182

-58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.03

$0.78 ¥122

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ¥6.82

$3.11 ¥486

-67.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$3.66 ¥571

-39.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.48 ¥231

17.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$1.51 ¥236

11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.43

$4.82 ¥752

-80.08%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.33

$2.09 ¥327

-26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 ¥90.5

$11.74 ¥1,835

15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.32

$6.40 ¥1,000

-45.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ¥76.0

$17.67 ¥2,761

-35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.57

$4.76 ¥743

-60.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.67

$2.37 ¥371

-45.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$4.28 ¥669

-64.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.52

$4.36 ¥680

-70.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$2.73 ¥427

-73.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$2.62 ¥409

-66.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$1.25 ¥196

-51.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.72

$0.90 ¥140

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥25.01

$3.96 ¥619

-5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.5

$8.50 ¥1,328

39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$1.97 ¥308

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.26

$2.56 ¥400

-34.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.40 ¥219

-79.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.23 ¥149

$55.3 ¥8,643

-59.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$3.54 ¥553

-57.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.48

$3.11 ¥486

-88.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 ¥49.10

$19.69 ¥3,075

-62.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.09 ¥171

11.93%

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

$19.3K ¥129.4K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-11.31%

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

$17.1K ¥114.7K

$16.2K ¥2.5M

5.81%

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

$53.8 ¥360

$158 ¥24.6K

-65.89%

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

$8.71 ¥58.4

$24.79 ¥3,873

-64.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.93 ¥73.2

$32.46 ¥5,071

-66.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.74 ¥273

$52.8 ¥8,253

-22.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥97.3

$17.71 ¥2,767

-17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ¥43.87

$12.61 ¥1,970

-48.06%

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

$457 ¥3,062

$562 ¥87.7K

-18.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$11.6K ¥1.8M

68.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.62 ¥306

$45.40 ¥7,092

0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.90 ¥241

$28.46 ¥4,447

26.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥510

$60.6 ¥9,467

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 ¥512

$77.8 ¥12.2K

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,578

$573 ¥89.5K

-32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ¥1,601

$379 ¥59.2K

-36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 ¥5,627

$1,338 ¥209.0K

-37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ¥3,242

$752 ¥117.5K

-35.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,581 ¥30.7K

$5,535 ¥864.8K

-17.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,266 ¥15.2K

$2,846 ¥444.6K

-20.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,137

$2,055 ¥321.0K

-48.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

2.05

69.27%

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

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Last update for Japan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $490 in Japan. Capital cities: $959 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,230 in Tokyo.

National salary averages: $864 in China, $1,876 in Japan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 57% more in Japan.

Public transport is 218% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 117% higher in Japan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

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

China vs Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $1,205 in Japan, there's a 41% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Japan is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Japan it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Japan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.