Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Japan: $1,297 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Japan
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Japan Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Japan and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Japan and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Japan vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Japan $1,297
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $1,998 per month in Japan vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Japan $1,998
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $2,699 per month in Japan vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Japan $2,699
United States $5,291

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in Japan ($724–$1,648), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Japan is roughly 52% lower than in the United States on average.

Japan sits 4% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 ¥1,010

$19.73 $19.73

-67.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 ¥5,082

$81.0 $81.0

-60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥816

$11.98 $11.98

-56.84%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥486

$5.59 $5.59

-45.08%

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

$1.16 ¥183

$2.78 $2.78

-58.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$2.10 $2.10

-62.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ¥512

$5.98 $5.98

-45.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ¥585

$7.92 $7.92

-53.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.03 $1.03

43.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ¥228

$3.75 $3.75

-61.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 ¥754

$4.46 $4.46

6.95%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥331

$4.34 $4.34

-51.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 ¥1,823

$12.75 $12.75

-9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 ¥956

$12.27 $12.27

-50.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 ¥2,718

$17.29 $17.29

-0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ¥758

$5.31 $5.31

-9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ¥380

$1.67 $1.67

44.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$4.32 $4.32

-4.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ¥695

$5.03 $5.03

-12.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 ¥433

$2.81 $2.81

-2.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥408

$3.05 $3.05

-15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$2.22 $2.22

-43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$2.35 $2.35

-65.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$10.92 $10.92

-63.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 ¥1,161

$14.87 $14.87

-50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.10 $2.10

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 ¥409

$3.62 $3.62

-28.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ¥222

$2.46 $2.46

-43.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 ¥9,225

$65.7 $65.7

-11.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ¥582

$3.58 $3.58

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$1.90 $1.90

68.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 ¥3,131

$29.51 $29.51

-32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.02 $1.02

3.92%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$28.3K $28.3K

-23.44%

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

$15.8K ¥2.5M

$26.0K $26.0K

-39.23%

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

$151 ¥23.9K

$221 $221

-31.63%

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

$24.37 ¥3,851

$61.3 $61.3

-60.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.59 ¥5,149

$73.3 $73.3

-55.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,228

$44.89 $44.89

16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 ¥2,903

$22.65 $22.65

-18.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 ¥1,957

$15.16 $15.16

-18.27%

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

$529 ¥83.7K

$1,471 $1,471

-64.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ¥1.9M

$25.0K $25.0K

-53.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.12 ¥7,287

$53.5 $53.5

-13.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 ¥4,639

$43.76 $43.76

-32.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 ¥9,750

$92.0 $92.0

-32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥12.2K

$114 $114

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥89.3K

$1,654 $1,654

-65.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ¥61.4K

$1,332 $1,332

-70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 ¥208.8K

$2,669 $2,669

-50.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ¥120.3K

$2,207 $2,207

-65.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 ¥855.5K

$3,054 $3,054

77.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,746 ¥433.8K

$2,522 $2,522

8.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,068 ¥326.6K

$4,391 $4,391

-52.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

6.55

-67.48%

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

Last update for Japan: October 19, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Japan

$389 30%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 243% $943

Groceries & Markets

Japan

$308 23.7%

United States

$413 15.1% 34% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Japan

$208 16%

United States

$355 13% 70.9% $147

Eating Out

Japan

$135 10.4%

United States

$326 12% 142% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Japan

$96 7.4%

United States

$137 5% 41.6% $40

Getting Around

Japan

$84 6.5%

United States

$89 3.3% 5.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Japan

$77 5.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 2.2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $522 in Japan vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,288 in Tokyo and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,926 in Japan vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 209% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 127% more in the United States.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 136% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Japan

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

00:46 12:46 AM

13 h behind Japan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,440,000

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Japan United States 10,730 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Japan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 110% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $522 in Japan.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Japan, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Japan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.