Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kagoshima and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,125 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,125

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kagoshima and in Tokyo

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

A single person spends $1,125 per month in Kagoshima vs $1,648 in Tokyo, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,125
Tokyo $1,648

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Kagoshima vs $2,604 in Tokyo, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,868
Tokyo $2,604

A family of three spends $2,611 per month in Kagoshima vs $3,561 in Tokyo, rent included.

Kagoshima $2,611
Tokyo $3,561

Kagoshima is about 32% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kagoshima sits 17% below the global median, while Tokyo is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥999

$7.79 ¥1,230

-18.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.65 ¥5,159

$38.57 ¥6,094

-15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 ¥835

$4.99 ¥788

6.01%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$3.58 ¥565

-17.32%

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

$0.99 ¥156

$1.57 ¥249

-36.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥110

$0.90 ¥142

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ¥403

$3.75 ¥593

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥353

$5.22 ¥825

-57.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.55 ¥246

-11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.75 ¥277

-34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.35 ¥846

$5.56 ¥879

-3.78%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.25 ¥355

-4.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 ¥2,819

$11.31 ¥1,787

57.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 ¥825

$6.76 ¥1,068

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 ¥2,998

$16.83 ¥2,658

12.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 ¥562

$4.66 ¥736

-23.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 ¥297

$2.27 ¥359

-17.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 ¥437

$4.33 ¥683

-36.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 ¥518

$5.23 ¥826

-37.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 ¥322

$3.33 ¥526

-38.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 ¥290

$3.00 ¥474

-39.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.16 ¥183

-8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.83 ¥130

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.88 ¥613

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 ¥925

$9.53 ¥1,506

-38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.63 ¥257

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥300

$2.62 ¥414

-27.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.22 ¥193

2.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.6 ¥8,308

$62.3 ¥9,848

-15.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ¥614

$3.19 ¥505

21.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ¥316

$3.09 ¥489

-35.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.36 ¥1,795

$18.70 ¥2,954

-39.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-0.23%

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

$17.3K ¥2.7M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

14.55%

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

$188 ¥29.7K

$148 ¥23.4K

26.96%

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

$24.76 ¥3,912

$22.75 ¥3,594

8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,845

$29.86 ¥4,717

2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 ¥8,094

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-21.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ¥1,902

$13.22 ¥2,089

-8.93%

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

$124 ¥19.6K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-90.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥1.9M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-31.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.92 ¥7,729

$54.3 ¥8,584

-9.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.15 ¥4,131

$32.73 ¥5,172

-20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥10.4K

$65.4 ¥10.3K

0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 ¥11.9K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

7.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥83.9K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-58.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥34.5K

$684 ¥108.1K

-68.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 ¥174.2K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-56.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ¥114.8K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-50.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,259 ¥672.8K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-53.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-58.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,838 ¥290.3K

$2,994 ¥473.0K

-38.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

2.25

-12.44%

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

Last update for Kagoshima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kagoshima

$293 26.1%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 11.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kagoshima

$244 21.7%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 17.6% $43

Accommodation & Living

Kagoshima

$218 19.4%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 214% $466

Eating Out

Kagoshima

$126 11.2%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 26.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Kagoshima

$97 8.7%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 3.1% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Kagoshima

$75 6.7%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 22.1% $17

Getting Around

Kagoshima

$71 6.4%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 20.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $531 in Kagoshima versus $1,288 in Tokyo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 63% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Kagoshima versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $326 – making Kagoshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Kagoshima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,128

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Kagoshima vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 47% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,687 per month in Kagoshima and $2,473 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kagoshima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in Kagoshima and $1,314 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kagoshima, where all-in costs run around $1,125, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Kagoshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kagoshima costs $1,125 versus $1,648 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kagoshima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.