Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galveston, TX and Kawagoe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,075 a month against $2,222 in Galveston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Galveston, TX, United States
Kawagoe, Japan
Galveston, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,222
/mo nomad
Kawagoe
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,075
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Galveston, TX and in Kawagoe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Galveston, TX and in Kawagoe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Galveston, TX vs $1,075 in Kawagoe, rent included.

  • Galveston, TX $2,222
  • Kawagoe $1,075

A couple spends around $3,215 per month in Galveston, TX vs $1,744 in Kawagoe, rent included.

  • Galveston, TX $3,215
  • Kawagoe $1,744

A family of three spends $4,209 per month in Galveston, TX vs $2,413 in Kawagoe, rent included.

  • Galveston, TX $4,209
  • Kawagoe $2,413

Galveston, TX costs about 107% more than Kawagoe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Galveston, TX sits 63% above the global median, while Kawagoe is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.04 $22.04
$6.33 ¥1,000
248.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.5 $76.5
$41.23 ¥6,507
85.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$4.95 ¥782
144.85%
Cappuccino
$7.95 $7.95
$3.50 ¥552
127.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 $2.84
$0.92 ¥145
208.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.52 ¥82.6
240.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 $5.15
$1.91 ¥301
169.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05 $4.05
$2.74 ¥432
47.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.15 ¥182
-29.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.28 ¥202
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$3.67 ¥579
-23.43%
Eggs
$2.75 $2.75
$2.08 ¥328
32.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.45 $11.45
$6.34 ¥1,001
80.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.54 $9.54
$5.90 ¥932
61.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.24 $13.24
$14.16 ¥2,236
-6.50%
Apples (1kg)
$5.47 $5.47
$5.82 ¥918
-6.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 $1.57
$2.34 ¥369
-32.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.18 $3.18
$2.88 ¥455
10.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.76 $3.76
$3.12 ¥492
20.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$2.54 ¥401
-16.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.85 ¥292
35.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.27 ¥201
41.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$0.76 ¥120
135.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.91 $9.91
$3.83 ¥604
158.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.90 $10.90
$4.65 ¥734
134.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.81 ¥286
-1.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.03 ¥320
-12.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.97 ¥469
-34.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.77 $32.77
$52.8 ¥8,338
-37.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.90 $9.90
$3.11 ¥491
218.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 $1.82
$2.63 ¥415
-30.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.6 $60.6
$20.31 ¥3,205
198.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.06 ¥168
-10.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$15.6K ¥2.5M
71.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$12.8K ¥2.0M
105.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 $176
$133 ¥21.0K
32.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.42 $42.42
$22.18 ¥3,500
91.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.79 $39.79
$31.10 ¥4,909
27.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.89 $34.89
$43.19 ¥6,817
-19.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$30.97 ¥4,888
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.17 $11.17
$10.95 ¥1,729
2.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 $759
$320 ¥50.6K
136.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.2K $18.2K
$6,292 ¥993.1K
189.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.12 $44.12
$31.66 ¥4,997
39.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.49 $38.49
$33.72 ¥5,323
14.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.4 $73.4
$43.55 ¥6,874
68.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.1 $81.1
$93.2 ¥14.7K
-13.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 $1,186
$407 ¥64.2K
191.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,059 $1,059
$267 ¥42.1K
297.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,118 $2,118
$862 ¥136.1K
145.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,579 $1,579
$605 ¥95.5K
161.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,698 $2,698
$2,474 ¥390.5K
9.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,158 $2,158
$1,772 ¥279.6K
21.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Galveston, TX
Kawagoe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,045 $4,045
$1,597 ¥252.0K
153.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
1.6
310.63%

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

Last update for Galveston, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Galveston, TX
$1.1K
Kawagoe
$267 74.8% $792
Eating Out
Galveston, TX
$360
Kawagoe
$128 64.4% $232
Groceries & Markets
Galveston, TX
$320
Kawagoe
$257 19.9% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galveston, TX
$258
Kawagoe
$186 27.9% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Galveston, TX
$107
Kawagoe
$91 14.7% $16
Getting Around
Galveston, TX
$60
Kawagoe
$81 35.9% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Galveston, TX
$57
Kawagoe
$65 13.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,186 in Galveston, TX versus $407 in Kawagoe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Galveston, TX are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Galveston, TX versus $41 in Kawagoe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $257 – making Kawagoe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Galveston, TX
🇯🇵 Kawagoe
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
16:32 4:32 PM
14 h ahead of Galveston, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
53,695
350,745
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Galveston, TX Kawagoe 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Galveston, TX
  • Kawagoe

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Galveston, TX vs Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Galveston, TX and in Kawagoe compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,222 in Galveston, TX, $1,075 in Kawagoe – Kawagoe comes out roughly 52% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Galveston, TX compared to Kawagoe?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,333 per month in Galveston, TX and $1,612 in Kawagoe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Galveston, TX and Kawagoe?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kawagoe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $1,186 in Galveston, TX.
Which city is more expensive overall: Galveston, TX or Kawagoe?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 in Galveston, TX and $1,075 in Kawagoe. That makes Kawagoe about 52% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Galveston, TX and in Kawagoe?
Public transport costs about 38% less in Galveston, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kawagoe, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Galveston, TX at $2,222. In Kawagoe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galveston, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Galveston, TX or Kawagoe?
Families tend to lean toward Kawagoe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Galveston, TX or Kawagoe safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Galveston, TX and Kawagoe?
If budget matters most, go with Kawagoe. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Galveston, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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