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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Japan versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,941 in Japan versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,639 in Japan versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Japan is roughly 75% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Japan 7% lower, China 47% lower.

Japan ($1,022–$1,701) and China ($532–$1,192) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 ¥1,114

$2.86 ¥19.32

139.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 ¥5,657

$23.44 ¥158

48.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ¥906

$4.84 ¥32.70

15.08%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ¥528

$3.11 ¥21.03

4.50%

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

$1.09 ¥177

$0.44 ¥2.99

147.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$0.29 ¥1.99

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ¥549

$0.98 ¥6.63

244.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ¥689

$2.05 ¥13.86

106.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥247

$1.84 ¥12.45

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥261

$1.62 ¥10.92

-0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 ¥748

$0.93 ¥6.27

394.62%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥359

$1.63 ¥11.01

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 ¥1,961

$13.15 ¥88.8

-8.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 ¥1,094

$3.26 ¥22.06

106.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 ¥3,107

$10.62 ¥71.8

80.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ¥870

$1.80 ¥12.17

197.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$1.30 ¥8.76

99.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ¥754

$1.46 ¥9.88

217.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 ¥813

$1.20 ¥8.13

316.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ¥476

$0.76 ¥5.13

285.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$0.88 ¥5.93

194.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥222

$0.57 ¥3.86

140.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥154

$0.54 ¥3.62

75.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥664

$3.42 ¥23.14

19.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 ¥1,430

$11.75 ¥79.4

-25.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥343

$0.80 ¥5.39

163.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ¥459

$1.62 ¥10.94

74.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥243

$0.43 ¥2.93

248.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 ¥9,636

$20.47 ¥138

189.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥695

$1.36 ¥9.22

214.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥482

$0.35 ¥2.39

745.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.97 ¥3,895

$6.50 ¥43.90

268.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥192

$1.12 ¥7.58

5.36%

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

$23.2K ¥3.8M

$19.5K ¥131.6K

19.24%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$16.9K ¥113.9K

3.67%

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

$175 ¥28.5K

$51.7 ¥349

239.03%

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

$26.45 ¥4,298

$10.17 ¥68.7

160.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.77 ¥5,650

$11.16 ¥75.4

211.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ¥9,540

$39.62 ¥268

48.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 ¥2,555

$14.53 ¥98.2

8.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 ¥2,116

$6.38 ¥43.12

104.08%

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

$347 ¥56.4K

$407 ¥2,752

-14.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-24.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 ¥7,986

$45.53 ¥308

7.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 ¥5,335

$32.31 ¥218

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 ¥10.2K

$72.6 ¥490

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ¥14.1K

$74.4 ¥503

16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ¥98.7K

$443 ¥2,992

37.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥68.0K

$258 ¥1,745

62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 ¥221.1K

$910 ¥6,152

49.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 ¥134.8K

$543 ¥3,672

52.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,522 ¥897.3K

$4,934 ¥33.3K

11.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ¥492.4K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

26.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,807 ¥293.6K

$1,065 ¥7,194

69.73%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $485 in Japan, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,120 in Tokyo vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,839 in Japan, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 69% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 67% more in Japan.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 115% higher in Japan, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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

Japan vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $1,362 in Japan, there's a 58% 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 China: 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 Japan is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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