Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $1,297 in Japan, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Japan
Learn more

Japan Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Japan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $395 in India versus $1,297 in Japan.

India $395
Japan $1,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $628 in India versus $1,998 in Japan.

India $628
Japan $1,998

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $861 in India versus $2,699 in Japan.

India $861
Japan $2,699

Internal cost variation is higher in Japan: monthly costs span $724 to $1,648, compared to $229–$828 in India. City choice carries more weight in Japan.

Living in India costs about 70% less than in Japan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Japan 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$6.39 ¥1,010

-66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.57 ₹1,004

$32.17 ¥5,082

-67.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ₹358

$5.17 ¥816

-27.08%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₹167

$3.07 ¥486

-42.67%

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

$0.42 ₹39.67

$1.16 ¥183

-63.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.45

$0.79 ¥125

-82.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹186

$3.24 ¥512

-39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹295

$3.70 ¥585

-15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$1.48 ¥233

-57.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.45

$1.44 ¥228

-68.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.3

$4.77 ¥754

-85.74%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.4

$2.09 ¥331

-55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.83 ₹458

$11.54 ¥1,823

-58.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 ₹276

$6.05 ¥956

-51.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 ¥2,718

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$4.80 ¥758

-58.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$2.41 ¥380

-73.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹92.8

$4.11 ¥649

-76.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.04

$4.40 ¥695

-88.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.28

$2.74 ¥433

-86.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.72

$2.58 ¥408

-84.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.31

$1.26 ¥199

-65.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.53

$0.82 ¥130

-64.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$3.99 ¥630

28.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₹696

$7.35 ¥1,161

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹157

$1.92 ¥303

-14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₹259

$2.59 ¥409

5.41%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.08 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.70

$1.40 ¥222

-82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.49 ₹806

$58.4 ¥9,225

-85.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.9

$3.68 ¥582

-72.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.69

$3.21 ¥507

-92.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$19.82 ¥3,131

-91.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.06 ¥168

0.94%

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

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-47.70%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

27.57%

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

$37.73 ₹3,583

$151 ¥23.9K

-75.01%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$24.37 ¥3,851

-85.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.89 ₹655

$32.59 ¥5,149

-78.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.63 ₹1,390

$52.1 ¥8,228

-71.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 ₹688

$18.37 ¥2,903

-60.53%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 ₹301

$12.39 ¥1,957

-74.41%

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

$56.5 ₹5,369

$529 ¥83.7K

-89.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,646 ₹156.3K

$11.8K ¥1.9M

-85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.73 ₹2,158

$46.12 ¥7,287

-50.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,283

$29.36 ¥4,639

-18.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.04 ₹3,898

$61.7 ¥9,750

-33.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$77.2 ¥12.2K

-60.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₹13.6K

$565 ¥89.3K

-74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 ₹8,691

$389 ¥61.4K

-76.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₹30.8K

$1,321 ¥208.8K

-75.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.3K

$761 ¥120.3K

-71.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₹114.0K

$5,415 ¥855.5K

-77.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 ₹58.8K

$2,746 ¥433.8K

-77.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ₹41.8K

$2,068 ¥326.6K

-78.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

2.13

318.78%

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

Last update for India: October 19, 2026

Last update for Japan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.8%

Japan

$308 23.7% 202% $206

Accommodation & Living

India

$92 23.1%

Japan

$389 30% 325% $297

Eating Out

India

$68 17.1%

Japan

$135 10.4% 99.3% $67

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.5%

Japan

$96 7.4% 81% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.2%

Japan

$208 16% 331% $160

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.3%

Japan

$77 5.9% 266% $56

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Japan

$84 6.5% 612% $72

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $522 in Japan. Capital cities: $271 in Delhi vs $1,288 in Tokyo.

National salary averages: $413 in India, $1,926 in Japan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 339% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 230% more in Japan.

Public transport is 629% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 366% higher in Japan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇯🇵 Japan

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

3 h 30 min ahead of India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

125,440,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

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Between locations

India Japan 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

India
Japan

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

India vs Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $395 per month in India and $1,297 in Japan, there's a 228% 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 cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $522 in Japan and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Japan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.