Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Japan: $1,297 a month against $2,317 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
Learn more

Canada Living Index

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🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Japan and in Canada

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 Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Japan vs $2,317 in Canada, rent included.

Japan $1,297
Canada $2,317

A couple spends around $1,998 per month in Japan vs $3,358 in Canada, rent included.

Japan $1,998
Canada $3,358

A family of three spends $2,699 per month in Japan vs $4,399 in Canada, rent included.

Japan $2,699
Canada $4,399

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($884–$3,722) than in Japan ($724–$1,648), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Japan is roughly 44% lower than in Canada on average.

Japan sits 4% below the global median, while Canada is 71% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 ¥1,010

$18.00 CA$25.44

-64.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 ¥5,082

$70.6 CA$99.8

-54.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥816

$10.78 CA$15.24

-52.04%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥486

$3.74 CA$5.29

-17.91%

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

$1.16 ¥183

$2.03 CA$2.86

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$1.71 CA$2.42

-53.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ¥512

$5.56 CA$7.87

-41.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ¥585

$5.64 CA$7.98

-34.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥233

$2.26 CA$3.19

-34.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ¥228

$2.66 CA$3.76

-45.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 ¥754

$3.50 CA$4.94

36.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥331

$3.64 CA$5.14

-42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 ¥1,823

$10.82 CA$15.29

6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 ¥956

$11.82 CA$16.71

-48.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 ¥2,718

$15.48 CA$21.88

11.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ¥758

$4.14 CA$5.85

15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ¥380

$1.43 CA$2.02

68.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$3.84 CA$5.43

7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ¥695

$4.11 CA$5.81

7.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 ¥433

$2.60 CA$3.67

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥408

$2.44 CA$3.45

5.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$2.54 CA$3.60

-50.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$1.71 CA$2.42

-52.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$14.03 CA$19.83

-71.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 ¥1,161

$13.34 CA$18.85

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.92 CA$4.13

-34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 ¥409

$3.18 CA$4.50

-18.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ¥222

$2.42 CA$3.43

-42.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 ¥9,225

$73.1 CA$103

-20.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ¥582

$3.17 CA$4.49

16.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$1.45 CA$2.05

121.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 ¥3,131

$26.76 CA$37.83

-25.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.23 CA$1.74

-13.82%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$27.5K CA$38.9K

-21.26%

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

$15.8K ¥2.5M

$21.2K CA$29.9K

-25.49%

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

$151 ¥23.9K

$146 CA$207

3.18%

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

$24.37 ¥3,851

$42.95 CA$60.7

-43.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.59 ¥5,149

$58.3 CA$82.4

-44.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,228

$40.50 CA$57.3

28.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 ¥2,903

$19.38 CA$27.40

-5.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 ¥1,957

$11.17 CA$15.79

10.92%

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

$529 ¥83.7K

$771 CA$1,090

-31.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ¥1.9M

$14.5K CA$20.5K

-18.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.12 ¥7,287

$53.9 CA$76.2

-14.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 ¥4,639

$38.89 CA$55.0

-24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 ¥9,750

$88.3 CA$125

-30.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥12.2K

$101 CA$143

-23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥89.3K

$1,262 CA$1,784

-55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ¥61.4K

$1,139 CA$1,610

-65.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 ¥208.8K

$2,060 CA$2,913

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ¥120.3K

$1,730 CA$2,445

-55.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 ¥855.5K

$4,554 CA$6,438

18.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,746 ¥433.8K

$3,933 CA$5,560

-30.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,068 ¥326.6K

$3,050 CA$4,312

-32.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

4.87

-56.26%

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

Last update for Japan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Japan

$389 30%

Canada

$1.1K 49.2% 193% $750

Groceries & Markets

Japan

$308 23.7%

Canada

$372 16.1% 20.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Japan

$208 16%

Canada

$248 10.7% 19% $40

Eating Out

Japan

$135 10.4%

Canada

$275 11.9% 104% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Japan

$96 7.4%

Canada

$127 5.5% 31.7% $31

Getting Around

Japan

$84 6.5%

Canada

$93 4% 11.4% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Japan

$77 5.9%

Canada

$63 2.7% 18.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $522 in Japan vs $1,207 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,288 in Tokyo and $1,437 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $1,926 in Japan vs $2,936 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 131% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 94% more in Canada.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 52% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Japan

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

04:34 4:34 AM

13 h behind Japan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,440,000

36,991,981

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Japan Canada 10,320 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Japan
Canada

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Japan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 79% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,207 versus $522 in Japan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Japan, adding to the overall 79% price gap.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Japan, but in Canada 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.