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: $2,638 in Japan versus $846 in India.

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

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

Japan ($1,019–$1,684) and India ($264–$888) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 ¥1,082

$2.49 ₹236

171.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.81 ¥5,580

$14.20 ₹1,349

145.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ¥901

$3.98 ₹378

41.21%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥547

$1.88 ₹178

81.38%

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

$1.09 ¥175

$0.44 ₹41.84

147.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥134

$0.19 ₹18.50

342.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 ¥550

$2.02 ₹192

69.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ¥663

$3.45 ₹328

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥249

$0.72 ₹68.1

115.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥245

$0.52 ₹49.10

194.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 ¥726

$0.72 ₹68.4

529.17%

Eggs

$2.27 ¥363

$0.93 ₹88.5

144.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 ¥1,942

$5.24 ₹498

131.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ¥1,122

$3.07 ₹291

128.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 ¥3,170

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ¥858

$2.17 ₹206

146.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥420

$0.76 ₹71.9

244.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ¥749

$1.05 ₹99.7

344.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 ¥760

$0.53 ₹50.5

794.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 ¥457

$0.39 ₹37.41

630.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ¥430

$0.49 ₹46.65

446.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥215

$0.52 ₹49.18

157.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥152

$0.33 ₹31.02

187.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥662

$4.05 ₹384

1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ¥1,328

$7.39 ₹701

12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥348

$1.84 ₹175

17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ¥472

$2.90 ₹276

1.38%

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

$5.65 ₹536

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 ¥250

$0.36 ₹34.48

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 ¥9,412

$9.74 ₹925

502.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 ¥682

$0.95 ₹90.3

347.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥463

$0.30 ₹28.54

863.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.36 ¥3,745

$1.73 ₹164

1250.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥188

$1.23 ₹116

-4.88%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

69.40%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$22.6K ₹2.1M

-22.43%

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

$175 ¥28.0K

$40.88 ₹3,881

326.96%

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

$27.13 ¥4,349

$3.91 ₹371

593.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.95 ¥5,603

$7.81 ₹741

347.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ¥9,452

$16.15 ₹1,533

265.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 ¥2,548

$7.49 ₹711

112.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 ¥2,079

$3.42 ₹325

279.24%

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

$341 ¥54.6K

$69.9 ₹6,638

387.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$1,793 ₹170.2K

653.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.49 ¥7,773

$25.83 ₹2,452

87.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 ¥5,281

$26.61 ₹2,527

23.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 ¥10.1K

$45.24 ₹4,294

39.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 ¥13.9K

$33.68 ₹3,198

158.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 ¥96.9K

$178 ₹16.9K

239.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥67.0K

$115 ₹10.9K

264.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ¥218.4K

$407 ₹38.6K

234.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 ¥135.2K

$264 ₹25.0K

220.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,620 ¥900.9K

$1,240 ₹117.7K

353.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 ¥490.4K

$631 ₹59.9K

384.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,859 ¥298.0K

$432 ₹41.0K

330.31%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $484 in Japan, $127 in India. Capital cities: $1,094 in Tokyo vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,862 in Japan, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 281% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 218% more in Japan.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 368% higher in Japan, giving Japan stronger purchasing power.

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 $576 per month in India and $1,352 in Japan, there's a 135% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

India is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.