Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Japan: $1,297 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Japan
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Japan Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Japan and in Australia

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

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Japan vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Japan $1,297
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $1,998 per month in Japan vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Japan $1,998
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $2,699 per month in Japan vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Japan $2,699
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Japan ($724–$1,648), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Japan is roughly 49% lower than in Australia on average.

Japan sits 4% below the global median, while Australia is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 ¥1,010

$17.35 A$24.97

-63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 ¥5,082

$84.5 A$122

-61.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥816

$10.98 A$15.79

-52.91%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥486

$3.84 A$5.53

-20.05%

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

$1.16 ¥183

$2.89 A$4.16

-59.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$2.29 A$3.29

-65.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ¥512

$7.79 A$11.21

-58.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ¥585

$8.42 A$12.12

-56.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.75 A$2.52

-15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ¥228

$2.78 A$4.00

-48.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 ¥754

$2.31 A$3.33

106.49%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥331

$4.89 A$7.04

-57.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 ¥1,823

$9.95 A$14.32

15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 ¥956

$9.06 A$13.03

-33.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 ¥2,718

$14.92 A$21.46

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ¥758

$3.65 A$5.25

31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ¥380

$3.03 A$4.36

-20.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$3.24 A$4.66

26.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ¥695

$4.69 A$6.76

-6.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 ¥433

$2.85 A$4.11

-3.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥408

$2.32 A$3.34

11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$2.43 A$3.50

-48.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$1.66 A$2.39

-50.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$38.47 A$55.4

-89.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 ¥1,161

$13.84 A$19.92

-46.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$4.87 A$7.01

-60.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 ¥409

$5.28 A$7.59

-50.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ¥222

$2.71 A$3.90

-48.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 ¥9,225

$94.0 A$135

-37.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ¥582

$3.57 A$5.14

3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$1.63 A$2.35

96.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 ¥3,131

$40.04 A$57.6

-50.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.33 A$1.91

-20.30%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$29.1K A$41.9K

-25.61%

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

$15.8K ¥2.5M

$25.7K A$37.0K

-38.64%

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

$151 ¥23.9K

$205 A$296

-26.49%

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

$24.37 ¥3,851

$28.24 A$40.63

-13.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.59 ¥5,149

$57.0 A$82.0

-42.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,228

$55.4 A$79.7

-5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 ¥2,903

$19.46 A$28.01

-5.60%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 ¥1,957

$15.06 A$21.66

-17.73%

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

$529 ¥83.7K

$2,097 A$3,017

-74.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ¥1.9M

$18.0K A$26.0K

-34.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.12 ¥7,287

$78.0 A$112

-40.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 ¥4,639

$55.3 A$79.6

-46.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 ¥9,750

$112 A$161

-44.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥12.2K

$122 A$175

-36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥89.3K

$1,559 A$2,244

-63.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ¥61.4K

$1,215 A$1,748

-67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 ¥208.8K

$2,435 A$3,504

-45.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ¥120.3K

$1,924 A$2,769

-60.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 ¥855.5K

$8,175 A$11.8K

-33.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,746 ¥433.8K

$6,060 A$8,721

-54.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,068 ¥326.6K

$4,038 A$5,811

-48.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

5.94

-64.14%

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

Last update for Japan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Japan

$389 30%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 212% $826

Groceries & Markets

Japan

$308 23.7%

Australia

$372 14.7% 21% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Japan

$208 16%

Australia

$291 11.4% 39.7% $83

Eating Out

Japan

$135 10.4%

Australia

$294 11.6% 118% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Japan

$96 7.4%

Australia

$165 6.5% 71.2% $69

Getting Around

Japan

$84 6.5%

Australia

$117 4.6% 39.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Japan

$77 5.9%

Australia

$85 3.4% 11.2% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $522 in Japan vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,288 in Tokyo and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,926 in Japan vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 161% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 148% more in Australia.

Public transport is 47% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 100% higher in Australia.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Japan

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

2 h ahead of Japan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,440,000

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Japan Australia 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Japan
Australia

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

Japan vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Japan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 96% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $522 in Japan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Japan, adding to the overall 96% price gap.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Japan, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Japan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.