Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Himeji and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,301 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
Learn more

Himeji Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
Learn more

Tokyo Living Index

Jump to prices

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,301

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Himeji 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 Himeji and in Tokyo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,301 per month in Himeji vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Himeji $1,301
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $2,030 per month in Himeji vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Himeji $2,030
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,759 per month in Himeji vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Himeji $2,759
Tokyo $3,489

Himeji is about 23% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Himeji sits 4% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.54 ¥1,347

$7.72 ¥1,218

10.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.04 ¥5,052

$37.51 ¥5,915

-14.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥806

$5.01 ¥789

2.00%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ¥396

$3.68 ¥580

-31.79%

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

$1.31 ¥207

$1.51 ¥239

-13.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥147

$0.85 ¥133

9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 ¥486

$3.77 ¥595

-18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ¥488

$5.75 ¥907

-46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.49 ¥235

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.73 ¥273

-10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 ¥654

$5.80 ¥914

-28.45%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥335

$2.25 ¥354

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.00 ¥2,523

$11.50 ¥1,813

39.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 ¥1,098

$6.96 ¥1,098

0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.24 ¥2,718

$16.39 ¥2,585

5.19%

Apples (1kg)

$8.59 ¥1,355

$4.73 ¥746

81.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 ¥471

$2.28 ¥359

31.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 ¥786

$4.26 ¥672

16.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.88 ¥1,242

$5.37 ¥846

46.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 ¥622

$3.29 ¥519

20.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.57 ¥720

$3.00 ¥473

52.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥147

$0.80 ¥126

16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 ¥623

$3.89 ¥614

1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 ¥1,508

$9.72 ¥1,533

-1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ¥417

$1.70 ¥269

55.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥340

$2.66 ¥419

-18.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥253

$1.25 ¥197

28.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 ¥9,062

$62.4 ¥9,845

-7.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ¥508

$3.15 ¥496

2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ¥458

$3.14 ¥494

-7.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.79 ¥2,490

$18.98 ¥2,992

-16.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥176

$1.11 ¥175

0.90%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$22.5K ¥3.5M

-4.94%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-1.41%

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

$116 ¥18.3K

$147 ¥23.2K

-21.01%

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

$23.12 ¥3,645

$23.17 ¥3,654

-0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.09 ¥4,903

$30.10 ¥4,746

3.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.40 ¥7,159

$57.4 ¥9,057

-20.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,175

Cinema Ticket

$12.50 ¥1,971

$13.39 ¥2,111

-6.65%

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

$701 ¥110.5K

$1,410 ¥222.4K

-50.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-21.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 ¥7,940

$55.3 ¥8,724

-9.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.32 ¥5,570

$32.43 ¥5,114

8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 ¥9,564

$64.4 ¥10.2K

-5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 ¥15.7K

$72.1 ¥11.4K

38.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 ¥93.8K

$1,329 ¥209.6K

-55.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥53.6K

$729 ¥114.9K

-53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ¥156.7K

$2,622 ¥413.5K

-62.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 ¥103.5K

$1,401 ¥220.9K

-53.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,978 ¥627.3K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-62.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 ¥351.2K

$5,054 ¥796.9K

-55.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

2.25

-10.22%

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

Last update for Himeji: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Himeji

$384 29.5%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 14.8% $57

Accommodation & Living

Himeji

$340 26.1%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 114% $389

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Himeji

$170 13.1%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 17.6% $30

Eating Out

Himeji

$144 11.1%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 11.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Himeji

$111 8.5%

Tokyo

$101 6% 8.8% $9.7

Getting Around

Himeji

$82 6.3%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 5.7% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Himeji

$70 5.4%

Tokyo

$84 5% 19.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $595 in Himeji versus $1,329 in Tokyo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Himeji versus $38 in Tokyo. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Himeji vs $327 in Tokyo – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Himeji

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

Same time as Himeji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,571

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Himeji Tokyo 470 km

From you

Himeji
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

Himeji vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,952 per month in Himeji and $2,533 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Himeji, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $595 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Tokyo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Himeji and $38 in Tokyo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,301, than in Tokyo at $1,688. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.