Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Japan versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,941 in Japan versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,639 in Japan versus $846 in India.

Living in Japan is roughly 220% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Japan 7% lower, India 71% lower.

Japan ($1,022–$1,701) and India ($265–$913) 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

$2.53 ₹244

171.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 ¥5,657

$13.73 ₹1,324

153.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ¥906

$4.00 ₹386

39.25%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ¥528

$1.91 ₹185

70.16%

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

$1.09 ¥177

$0.43 ₹41.92

153.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$0.17 ₹16.14

388.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ¥549

$1.93 ₹186

75.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ¥689

$3.54 ₹341

19.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥247

$0.73 ₹70.0

108.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥261

$0.52 ₹50.2

209.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 ¥748

$0.73 ₹70.0

530.14%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥359

$0.95 ₹91.5

132.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 ¥1,961

$5.32 ₹513

126.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 ¥1,094

$3.10 ₹299

117.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 ¥3,107

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ¥870

$2.16 ₹208

147.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$0.70 ₹67.8

270.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ¥754

$1.05 ₹101

341.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 ¥813

$0.53 ₹50.9

843.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ¥476

$0.39 ₹37.72

651.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$0.48 ₹46.71

439.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥222

$0.52 ₹49.86

163.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥154

$0.36 ₹34.38

163.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥664

$4.02 ₹388

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 ¥1,430

$7.28 ₹702

20.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥343

$1.90 ₹184

11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ¥459

$3.03 ₹293

-6.60%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.84 ₹563

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥243

$0.36 ₹34.72

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 ¥9,636

$9.84 ₹949

502.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥695

$0.95 ₹92.0

350.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥482

$0.30 ₹29.08

886.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.97 ¥3,895

$1.79 ₹172

1239.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥192

$1.21 ₹117

-2.48%

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

$23.2K ¥3.8M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

67.60%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

-22.11%

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

$175 ¥28.5K

$40.16 ₹3,873

336.45%

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

$26.45 ¥4,298

$3.76 ₹363

603.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.77 ¥5,650

$8.04 ₹776

332.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ¥9,540

$16.25 ₹1,567

261.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 ¥2,555

$7.56 ₹729

108.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 ¥2,116

$3.43 ₹330

279.59%

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

$347 ¥56.4K

$69.7 ₹6,724

398.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$1,852 ₹178.6K

626.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 ¥7,986

$25.59 ₹2,467

92.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 ¥5,335

$26.30 ₹2,536

24.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 ¥10.2K

$44.89 ₹4,328

39.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ¥14.1K

$33.20 ₹3,202

161.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ¥98.7K

$174 ₹16.8K

248.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥68.0K

$112 ₹10.8K

271.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 ¥221.1K

$405 ₹39.0K

236.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 ¥134.8K

$258 ₹24.8K

221.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,522 ¥897.3K

$1,263 ₹121.8K

337.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ¥492.4K

$653 ₹62.9K

364.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,807 ¥293.6K

$424 ₹40.9K

326.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.82

9.02

-79.82%

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

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $485 in Japan, $127 in India. Capital cities: $1,120 in Tokyo vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,839 in Japan, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 282% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 218% more in Japan.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 362% 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $589 per month in India and $1,362 in Japan, there's a 131% 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 India: 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 India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Japan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.