Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,077 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
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Kawagoe Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,077

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Kawagoe versus $1,648 in Tokyo.

Kawagoe $1,077
Tokyo $1,648

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,740 in Kawagoe versus $2,604 in Tokyo.

Kawagoe $1,740
Tokyo $2,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,403 in Kawagoe versus $3,561 in Tokyo.

Kawagoe $2,403
Tokyo $3,561

Living in Kawagoe costs roughly 35% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kawagoe is 21% below, Tokyo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 ¥1,008

$7.79 ¥1,230

-18.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.59 ¥6,413

$38.57 ¥6,094

5.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥796

$4.99 ¥788

1.00%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥553

$3.58 ¥565

-2.23%

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

$0.90 ¥142

$1.57 ¥249

-42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥75.1

$0.90 ¥142

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ¥304

$3.75 ¥593

-48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥436

$5.22 ¥825

-47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥184

$1.55 ¥246

-25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.75 ¥277

-29.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ¥586

$5.56 ¥879

-33.27%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥328

$2.25 ¥355

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 ¥971

$11.31 ¥1,787

-45.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ¥976

$6.76 ¥1,068

-8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 ¥2,294

$16.83 ¥2,658

-13.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 ¥878

$4.66 ¥736

19.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥371

$2.27 ¥359

3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ¥456

$4.33 ¥683

-33.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 ¥484

$5.23 ¥826

-41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 ¥417

$3.33 ¥526

-20.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ¥293

$3.00 ¥474

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.16 ¥183

11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.83 ¥130

-9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.88 ¥613

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 ¥756

$9.53 ¥1,506

-49.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥274

$1.63 ¥257

6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥320

$2.62 ¥414

-22.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 ¥476

$1.22 ¥193

146.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 ¥8,332

$62.3 ¥9,848

-15.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ¥488

$3.19 ¥505

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 ¥429

$3.09 ¥489

-11.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.79 ¥3,284

$18.70 ¥2,954

11.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$16.0K ¥2.5M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-27.11%

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

$12.7K ¥2.0M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-15.51%

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

$131 ¥20.7K

$148 ¥23.4K

-11.41%

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

$22.44 ¥3,546

$22.75 ¥3,594

-1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.30 ¥4,945

$29.86 ¥4,717

4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.58 ¥6,885

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-33.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.91 ¥5,041

$26.19 ¥4,137

21.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 ¥1,727

$13.22 ¥2,089

-17.32%

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

$319 ¥50.4K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-75.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,306 ¥996.3K

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-64.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.95 ¥5,047

$54.3 ¥8,584

-41.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.66 ¥5,160

$32.73 ¥5,172

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.47 ¥7,026

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ¥15.2K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

36.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥65.4K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-67.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ¥42.1K

$684 ¥108.1K

-61.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 ¥134.5K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥93.4K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-59.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,565 ¥405.3K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-72.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,765 ¥278.8K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-58.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,564 ¥247.1K

$2,994 ¥473.0K

-47.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.6

2.25

-28.89%

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

Last update for Kawagoe: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kawagoe

$267 24.8%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 157% $418

Groceries & Markets

Kawagoe

$257 23.9%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 26.8% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kawagoe

$185 17.2%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 8.5% $16

Eating Out

Kawagoe

$129 12%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 23.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Kawagoe

$93 8.6%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 8.5% $7.9

Getting Around

Kawagoe

$81 7.6%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 5.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Kawagoe

$65 6.1%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 40.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Kawagoe and $1,288 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 91% 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: $41.00 in Kawagoe vs $39.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $326, with Kawagoe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

Same time as Kawagoe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,745

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

Kawagoe vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawagoe and Tokyo differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,077 vs $1,648 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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: $414 in Kawagoe versus $1,288 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $39.00 in Tokyo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,077 per month in Kawagoe versus $1,648 in Tokyo – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,077 in Kawagoe versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.