Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kamakura and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamakura: $1,194 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Kamakura
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Kamakura Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Kamakura

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,194

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kamakura 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 Kamakura and in Tokyo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,194 in Kamakura versus $1,663 in Tokyo.

Kamakura $1,194
Tokyo $1,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Kamakura versus $2,592 in Tokyo.

Kamakura $1,888
Tokyo $2,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Kamakura versus $3,521 in Tokyo.

Kamakura $2,582
Tokyo $3,521

Living in Kamakura costs roughly 28% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kamakura is 12% below, Tokyo is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 ¥1,002

$7.47 ¥1,180

-15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.78 ¥5,020

$37.48 ¥5,921

-15.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥787

$4.90 ¥774

1.63%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ¥392

$3.62 ¥571

-31.49%

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

$1.08 ¥171

$1.66 ¥262

-34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥127

$0.84 ¥133

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 ¥406

$3.69 ¥582

-30.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥509

$5.24 ¥829

-38.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥219

$1.49 ¥236

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ¥237

$1.75 ¥276

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ¥580

$5.63 ¥889

-34.81%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$2.20 ¥348

-9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ¥1,654

$11.19 ¥1,767

-6.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥976

$6.84 ¥1,081

-9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 ¥2,274

$16.61 ¥2,624

-13.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 ¥886

$4.80 ¥759

16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ¥424

$2.24 ¥354

20.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ¥457

$4.22 ¥666

-31.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 ¥679

$5.20 ¥821

-17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥395

$3.29 ¥520

-24.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 ¥403

$3.05 ¥481

-16.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ¥179

$1.19 ¥188

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$0.81 ¥129

-6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥587

$3.92 ¥619

-5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 ¥1,017

$9.65 ¥1,524

-33.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥286

$1.63 ¥258

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥322

$2.70 ¥426

-24.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥237

$1.25 ¥197

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥8,926

$63.9 ¥10.1K

-11.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥487

$3.13 ¥494

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 ¥436

$3.21 ¥507

-14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.85 ¥2,505

$18.55 ¥2,931

-14.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.05 ¥166

4.76%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

0.39%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

0.70%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$149 ¥23.5K

-20.81%

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

$23.42 ¥3,700

$21.59 ¥3,412

8.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 ¥4,913

$30.62 ¥4,837

1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥8,335

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-20.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 ¥4,042

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 ¥2,001

$12.68 ¥2,004

-0.08%

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

$584 ¥92.3K

$1,350 ¥213.3K

-56.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-17.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ¥8,044

$56.0 ¥8,853

-9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.32 ¥5,580

$33.14 ¥5,236

6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥9,456

$64.3 ¥10.2K

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 ¥15.4K

$70.2 ¥11.1K

39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 ¥89.7K

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-54.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ¥54.7K

$700 ¥110.6K

-50.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 ¥191.4K

$2,502 ¥395.3K

-51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 ¥118.3K

$1,430 ¥225.9K

-47.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,369 ¥690.2K

$9,428 ¥1.5M

-53.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,979 ¥312.6K

$4,236 ¥669.3K

-53.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 ¥282.0K

$2,998 ¥473.7K

-40.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

2.25

-10.22%

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

Last update for Kamakura: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kamakura

$346 29%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 102% $354

Groceries & Markets

Kamakura

$286 24%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 13.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kamakura

$172 14.4%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 16.6% $29

Eating Out

Kamakura

$122 10.2%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 28.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Kamakura

$110 9.2%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 8.2% $9

Getting Around

Kamakura

$79 6.7%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 10.9% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kamakura

$78 6.5%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 17.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $568 in Kamakura and $1,253 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 68% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kamakura vs $37.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $325 per month, with Kamakura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kamakura

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

Same time as Kamakura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,710

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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kamakura vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kamakura is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Tokyo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $568 in Kamakura versus $1,253 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Kamakura versus $1,350 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,194 in Kamakura versus $1,663 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kamakura is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tokyo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kamakura and Tokyo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kamakura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.