Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and China

😐 Solo nomad: Japan is 64.3% more expensive than China without rent, and 77.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Japan is 63.5% more expensive than China without rent, and 61.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Japan
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.76 ¥1,076
$2.86 ¥19.51
136.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.97 ¥5,562
$23.89 ¥163
46.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.65 ¥898
$4.77 ¥32.61
18.45%
Cappuccino
$3.37 ¥536
$3.08 ¥21.02
9.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ¥174
$0.44 ¥2.99
147.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥123
$0.27 ¥1.84
185.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 ¥545
$0.93 ¥6.36
267.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.23 ¥673
$2.04 ¥13.96
107.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Japan
China
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ¥242
$1.78 ¥12.16
-14.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.57 ¥250
$1.60 ¥10.94
-1.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.75 ¥756
$0.98 ¥6.70
384.69%
Eggs
$2.20 ¥350
$1.55 ¥10.60
41.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.43 ¥1,977
$13.22 ¥90.3
-5.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 ¥1,096
$3.39 ¥23.13
103.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.71 ¥3,135
$10.52 ¥71.9
87.36%
Apples (1kg)
$5.40 ¥860
$1.84 ¥12.59
193.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.51 ¥400
$1.30 ¥8.89
93.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.68 ¥744
$1.47 ¥10.03
218.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 ¥760
$1.15 ¥7.83
315.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.84 ¥452
$0.72 ¥4.94
294.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.64 ¥420
$0.94 ¥6.40
180.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ¥222
$0.61 ¥4.16
129.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥140
$0.53 ¥3.61
66.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18 ¥665
$3.54 ¥24.15
18.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.51 ¥1,354
$11.89 ¥81.2
-28.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 ¥347
$0.79 ¥5.39
175.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 ¥455
$1.69 ¥11.51
69.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Japan
China
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.51 ¥241
$0.44 ¥2.98
243.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.5 ¥9,300
$20.98 ¥143
178.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.28 ¥681
$1.38 ¥9.39
210.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.89 ¥459
$0.35 ¥2.40
725.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.81 ¥3,788
$6.75 ¥46.13
252.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ¥189
$1.16 ¥7.93
2.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.6K ¥3.7M
$19.7K ¥134.8K
19.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥2.8M
$16.9K ¥115.8K
5.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Japan
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 ¥27.9K
$50.3 ¥344
249.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.78 ¥4,261
$10.04 ¥68.5
166.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.08 ¥5,581
$11.39 ¥77.8
207.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Japan
China
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.1 ¥9,249
$40.16 ¥274
44.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.94 ¥2,536
$14.68 ¥100
8.58%
Cinema Ticket
$13.01 ¥2,070
$6.21 ¥42.39
109.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Japan
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$348 ¥55.4K
$402 ¥2,746
-13.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K ¥2.1M
$17.4K ¥119.1K
-23.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Japan
China
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.86 ¥7,772
$46.39 ¥317
5.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.24 ¥5,129
$32.60 ¥223
-1.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.0 ¥9,863
$71.3 ¥487
-13.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ¥13.8K
$74.8 ¥511
16.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Japan
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$594 ¥94.5K
$429 ¥2,931
38.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$426 ¥67.7K
$261 ¥1,783
63.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ¥223.7K
$915 ¥6,253
53.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$834 ¥132.6K
$545 ¥3,725
52.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,204 ¥986.8K
$5,127 ¥35.0K
20.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,350 ¥532.9K
$2,614 ¥17.9K
28.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Japan
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,953 ¥310.7K
$1,061 ¥7,244
84.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.82
4.06
-55.17%

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

Last update for Japan: April 11, 2026

Last update for China: April 12, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
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