Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Japan versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,941 in Japan versus $2,621 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,639 in Japan versus $3,524 in Italy.

Living in Japan costs about 28% less than in Italy on average.

Japan (7% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $1,022–$1,701 in Japan. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 ¥1,114

$17.58 €15.40

-60.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 ¥5,657

$82.5 €72.2

-57.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ¥906

$11.72 €10.26

-52.47%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ¥528

$1.92 €1.68

69.27%

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

$1.09 ¥177

$2.99 €2.62

-63.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$1.36 €1.19

-38.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ¥549

$5.76 €5.04

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ¥689

$5.22 €4.57

-18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥247

$1.69 €1.48

-10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥261

$2.33 €2.04

-30.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 ¥748

$3.05 €2.67

50.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥359

$3.99 €3.49

-44.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 ¥1,961

$16.68 €14.61

-27.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 ¥1,094

$12.57 €11.01

-46.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 ¥3,107

$20.53 €17.98

-6.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ¥870

$2.56 €2.24

108.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$2.20 €1.93

17.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ¥754

$2.68 €2.35

73.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 ¥813

$3.37 €2.95

48.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ¥476

$2.04 €1.79

43.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$1.88 €1.65

37.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥222

$1.47 €1.29

-6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥154

$0.54 €0.47

75.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥664

$7.00 €6.13

-41.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 ¥1,430

$7.09 €6.21

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥343

$1.80 €1.58

17.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ¥459

$2.51 €2.20

12.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥243

$1.96 €1.72

-23.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 ¥9,636

$41.58 €36.42

42.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥695

$5.80 €5.08

-26.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥482

$1.60 €1.40

85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.97 ¥3,895

$35.07 €30.71

-31.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥192

$2.13 €1.87

-44.60%

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

$23.2K ¥3.8M

$32.6K €28.5K

-28.71%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$33.8K €29.6K

-48.26%

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

$175 ¥28.5K

$225 €197

-22.09%

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

$26.45 ¥4,298

$13.14 €11.51

101.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.77 ¥5,650

$31.19 €27.31

11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 ¥9,540

$57.2 €50.1

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 ¥2,555

$25.85 €22.64

-39.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 ¥2,116

$10.34 €9.05

25.92%

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

$347 ¥56.4K

$564 €494

-38.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$10.3K €9,057

30.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 ¥7,986

$91.9 €80.5

-46.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 ¥5,335

$40.54 €35.51

-19.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 ¥10.2K

$98.2 €86.0

-36.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ¥14.1K

$132 €116

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ¥98.7K

$855 €749

-28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥68.0K

$663 €581

-36.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 ¥221.1K

$1,522 €1,333

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 ¥134.8K

$1,089 €954

-23.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,522 ¥897.3K

$3,747 €3,282

47.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ¥492.4K

$2,299 €2,013

31.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,807 ¥293.6K

$1,897 €1,661

-4.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.82

4.41

-58.73%

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

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $485 in Japan, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,120 in Tokyo vs $1,328 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,839 in Japan, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 111% more in Italy.

Public transport is 23% more expensive 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $1,362 in Japan, there's a 34% 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 Japan: 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 Italy is consistently higher than in Japan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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