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: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,243 in Japan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,941 in Japan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $2,638 in Japan.

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

Italy (28% above) and Japan (7% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $1,019–$1,684 in Japan. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.13

$6.75 ¥1,082

158.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.9

$34.81 ¥5,580

128.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.20

$5.62 ¥901

109.25%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.73

$3.41 ¥547

-41.35%

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

$3.00 €2.61

$1.09 ¥175

175.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.17

$0.84 ¥134

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.15

$3.43 ¥550

73.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.65

$4.14 ¥663

29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.55 ¥249

5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.09

$1.53 ¥245

57.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.60

$4.53 ¥726

-34.00%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.44

$2.27 ¥363

74.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.61

$12.11 ¥1,942

39.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.78

$7.00 ¥1,122

77.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.60

$19.78 ¥3,170

2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$5.35 ¥858

-53.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.87

$2.62 ¥420

-17.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$4.67 ¥749

-43.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.95

$4.74 ¥760

-28.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.85 ¥457

-32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$2.68 ¥430

-32.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.34 ¥215

15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.95 ¥152

-43.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.89

$4.13 ¥662

64.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.23

$8.28 ¥1,328

-13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.56

$2.17 ¥348

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.10

$2.94 ¥472

-17.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.56 ¥250

28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.73

$58.7 ¥9,412

-27.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.16

$4.25 ¥682

39.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.89 ¥463

-47.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.53

$23.36 ¥3,745

45.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.17 ¥188

75.21%

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

$32.8K €28.5K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

39.94%

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

$33.7K €29.2K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

92.09%

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

$225 €196

$175 ¥28.0K

29.15%

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

$13.25 €11.49

$27.13 ¥4,349

-51.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.85

$34.95 ¥5,603

-11.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €48.36

$59.0 ¥9,452

-5.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.82

$15.90 ¥2,548

58.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.89

$12.97 ¥2,079

-20.97%

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

$576 €500

$341 ¥54.6K

68.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,074

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-22.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.7

$48.49 ¥7,773

89.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.32

$32.95 ¥5,281

23.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €85.0

$63.1 ¥10.1K

55.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$86.9 ¥13.9K

50.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €746

$605 ¥96.9K

42.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €578

$418 ¥67.0K

59.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,280

$1,362 ¥218.4K

8.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €943

$844 ¥135.2K

28.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,340

$5,620 ¥900.9K

-31.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,046

$3,060 ¥490.4K

-22.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,677

$1,859 ¥298.0K

3.99%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Japan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $484 in Japan. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $1,094 in Tokyo.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $1,862 in Japan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% 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 $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,352 in Japan, there's a 36% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Japan is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.