Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamamatsu and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamamatsu: $783 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamamatsu, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Hamamatsu
🇯🇵 Japan
$783
/mo nomad
Tokyo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,688
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamamatsu and in Tokyo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Hamamatsu versus $1,688 in Tokyo.

  • Hamamatsu $783
  • Tokyo $1,688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in Hamamatsu versus $2,588 in Tokyo.

  • Hamamatsu $1,266
  • Tokyo $2,588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,750 in Hamamatsu versus $3,489 in Tokyo.

  • Hamamatsu $1,750
  • Tokyo $3,489

Living in Hamamatsu costs roughly 54% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamamatsu is 42% below, Tokyo is 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.90 ¥614
$7.72 ¥1,217
-49.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.78 ¥6,581
$37.51 ¥5,909
11.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.19 ¥818
$5.01 ¥788
3.59%
Cappuccino
$3.41 ¥538
$3.68 ¥579
-7.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 ¥173
$1.51 ¥238
-27.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ¥118
$0.85 ¥133
-11.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.61 ¥411
$3.77 ¥594
-30.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 ¥489
$5.75 ¥906
-45.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 ¥170
$1.49 ¥235
-27.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 ¥267
$1.73 ¥273
-1.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.67 ¥578
$5.80 ¥913
-36.72%
Eggs
$1.68 ¥265
$2.25 ¥354
-25.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.25 ¥1,615
$11.50 ¥1,811
-10.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.17 ¥971
$6.96 ¥1,096
-11.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.24 ¥2,242
$16.39 ¥2,582
-13.12%
Apples (1kg)
$5.80 ¥914
$4.73 ¥745
22.62%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ¥447
$2.28 ¥359
24.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 ¥465
$4.26 ¥671
-30.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.30 ¥678
$5.37 ¥845
-19.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.61 ¥412
$3.29 ¥519
-20.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.59 ¥407
$3.00 ¥473
-13.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ¥204
$1.15 ¥181
12.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 ¥104
$0.80 ¥126
-17.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.89 ¥612
$3.89 ¥613
-
Wine (Bottle)
$6.39 ¥1,006
$9.72 ¥1,531
-34.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ¥287
$1.70 ¥268
7.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 ¥331
$2.66 ¥419
-21.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.25 ¥197
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.1 ¥7,896
$62.4 ¥9,835
-19.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 ¥489
$3.15 ¥495
-1.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.63 ¥414
$3.14 ¥494
-16.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.62 ¥3,248
$18.98 ¥2,989
8.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.11 ¥175
-4.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ¥3.4M
$22.5K ¥3.5M
-4.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.8K ¥2.5M
$15.3K ¥2.4M
3.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 ¥20.5K
$147 ¥23.1K
-11.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.59 ¥1,353
$23.17 ¥3,650
-62.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.78 ¥5,164
$30.10 ¥4,741
8.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.4 ¥9,048
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.40 ¥2,741
$26.48 ¥4,171
-34.29%
Cinema Ticket
$13.08 ¥2,060
$13.39 ¥2,109
-2.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$819 ¥129.0K
$1,410 ¥222.1K
-41.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ¥2.3M
$18.6K ¥2.9M
-20.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.6 ¥10.0K
$55.3 ¥8,715
15.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.10 ¥5,844
$32.43 ¥5,108
14.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.3 ¥9,655
$64.4 ¥10.1K
-4.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 ¥16.2K
$72.1 ¥11.4K
43.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,329 ¥209.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$729 ¥114.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,622 ¥413.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,401 ¥220.7K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,787 ¥1.2M
$10.7K ¥1.7M
-27.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,298 ¥834.5K
$5,054 ¥796.1K
4.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamamatsu
Tokyo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,602 ¥252.4K
$3,019 ¥475.5K
-46.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.64
2.25
17.33%

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

Last update for Hamamatsu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Hamamatsu
$285
Tokyo
$327 14.9% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamamatsu
$172
Tokyo
$200 16.5% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Hamamatsu
$119
Tokyo
$101 15.4% $18
Eating Out
Hamamatsu
$114
Tokyo
$161 40.5% $46
Getting Around
Hamamatsu
$66 *
Tokyo
$86 29.9% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Hamamatsu
$26 *
Tokyo
$84 222% $58
Accommodation & Living
Hamamatsu
- *
Tokyo
$729

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Tokyo pays 88% 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: $42 in Hamamatsu vs $38 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $327, with Hamamatsu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Hamamatsu
🇯🇵 Tokyo
🕒 Local time
12:23 12:23 PM
12:23 12:23 PM
Same time as Hamamatsu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
797,033
13,613,660 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamamatsu Tokyo 210 km
From you
  • Hamamatsu
  • Tokyo

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
Hamamatsu vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hamamatsu and in Tokyo?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $783 in Hamamatsu and $1,688 in Tokyo, so Hamamatsu is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Hamamatsu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Tokyo – a meal for two runs $38 versus $42 in Hamamatsu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $783 in Hamamatsu versus $1,688 in Tokyo, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Hamamatsu and Tokyo?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Hamamatsu or Tokyo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Hamamatsu and Tokyo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Hamamatsu and Tokyo?
It comes down to priorities – Hamamatsu wins on affordability, Tokyo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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