Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Japan Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $1,243 in Japan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $1,941 in Japan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $2,639 in Japan.

Living in Italy is roughly 38% more expensive than in Japan on average.

Italy (29% above) and Japan (7% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $1,022–$1,701 in Japan. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.40

$6.86 ¥1,114

156.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.2

$34.82 ¥5,657

136.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.26

$5.57 ¥906

110.41%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$3.25 ¥528

-40.92%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$1.09 ¥177

174.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.83 ¥135

63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$3.38 ¥549

70.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$4.24 ¥689

23.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.52 ¥247

11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.61 ¥261

44.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$4.60 ¥748

-33.70%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$2.21 ¥359

80.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$12.07 ¥1,961

38.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.01

$6.73 ¥1,094

86.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.98

$19.13 ¥3,107

7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$5.35 ¥870

-52.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.59 ¥421

-15.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$4.64 ¥754

-42.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$5.00 ¥813

-32.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$2.93 ¥476

-30.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.59 ¥421

-27.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.37 ¥222

7.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.95 ¥154

-43.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.13

$4.09 ¥664

71.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.21

$8.80 ¥1,430

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$2.11 ¥343

-14.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.83 ¥459

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.50 ¥243

30.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.42

$59.3 ¥9,636

-29.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$4.28 ¥695

35.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.96 ¥482

-45.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.71

$23.97 ¥3,895

46.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.18 ¥192

80.51%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

40.28%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

93.29%

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

$225 €197

$175 ¥28.5K

28.35%

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

$13.14 €11.51

$26.45 ¥4,298

-50.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.31

$34.77 ¥5,650

-10.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.1

$58.7 ¥9,540

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.64

$15.73 ¥2,555

64.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$13.02 ¥2,116

-20.58%

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

$564 €494

$347 ¥56.4K

62.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,057

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-23.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.5

$49.15 ¥7,986

87.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.51

$32.83 ¥5,335

23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €86.0

$62.7 ¥10.2K

56.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$87.0 ¥14.1K

51.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €749

$607 ¥98.7K

40.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €581

$418 ¥68.0K

58.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,333

$1,361 ¥221.1K

11.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €954

$829 ¥134.8K

31.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,282

$5,522 ¥897.3K

-32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,013

$3,030 ¥492.4K

-24.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,661

$1,807 ¥293.6K

4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

1.82

142.31%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $485 in Japan. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $1,120 in Tokyo.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $1,839 in Japan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 111% more in Italy.

Public transport is 23% more expensive 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

Italy vs Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $1,362 in Japan, there's a 34% 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 Japan: 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 Italy is consistently higher than in Japan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Japan, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: Japan wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.