Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitakyushu and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,250 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,250

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Kitakyushu vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Kitakyushu $1,250
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $1,923 per month in Kitakyushu vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Kitakyushu $1,923
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,596 per month in Kitakyushu vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Kitakyushu $2,596
Tokyo $3,489

Kitakyushu is about 26% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kitakyushu sits 8% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 ¥1,108

$7.72 ¥1,218

-8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 ¥5,198

$37.51 ¥5,915

-12.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ¥855

$5.01 ¥789

8.38%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ¥536

$3.68 ¥580

-7.61%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.51 ¥239

-29.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥111

$0.85 ¥133

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 ¥479

$3.77 ¥595

-19.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥343

$5.75 ¥907

-62.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥224

$1.49 ¥235

-4.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.73 ¥273

-26.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 ¥834

$5.80 ¥914

-8.79%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥347

$2.25 ¥354

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ¥1,485

$11.50 ¥1,813

-18.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 ¥828

$6.96 ¥1,098

-24.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 ¥2,973

$16.39 ¥2,585

15.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 ¥566

$4.73 ¥746

-24.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 ¥296

$2.28 ¥359

-17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ¥440

$4.26 ¥672

-34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 ¥453

$5.37 ¥846

-46.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ¥351

$3.29 ¥519

-32.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥417

$3.00 ¥473

-12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.15 ¥181

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.80 ¥126

23.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ¥639

$3.89 ¥614

4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 ¥983

$9.72 ¥1,533

-35.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.70 ¥269

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥270

$2.66 ¥419

-35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 ¥256

$1.25 ¥197

29.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ¥8,950

$62.4 ¥9,845

-9.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 ¥627

$3.15 ¥496

26.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 ¥322

$3.14 ¥494

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.83 ¥2,811

$18.98 ¥2,992

-6.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.11 ¥175

-5.41%

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

$20.3K ¥3.2M

$22.5K ¥3.5M

-9.93%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.30%

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

$196 ¥31.0K

$147 ¥23.2K

33.76%

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

$25.10 ¥3,959

$23.17 ¥3,654

8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.21 ¥5,079

$30.10 ¥4,746

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,220

$57.4 ¥9,057

-9.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ¥508

$26.48 ¥4,175

-87.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.65 ¥1,995

$13.39 ¥2,111

-5.53%

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

$379 ¥59.7K

$1,410 ¥222.4K

-73.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥1.9M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-33.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.55 ¥7,656

$55.3 ¥8,724

-12.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.37 ¥4,158

$32.43 ¥5,114

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 ¥10.6K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 ¥8,784

$72.1 ¥11.4K

-22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥87.5K

$1,329 ¥209.6K

-58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥53.2K

$729 ¥114.9K

-53.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 ¥158.5K

$2,622 ¥413.5K

-61.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 ¥112.8K

$1,401 ¥220.9K

-48.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 ¥678.7K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-59.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,319 ¥365.6K

$5,054 ¥796.9K

-54.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 ¥241.8K

$3,019 ¥476.0K

-49.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.69

2.25

-24.89%

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

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kitakyushu

$338 27%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 116% $391

Groceries & Markets

Kitakyushu

$275 22%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 19.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kitakyushu

$254 20.3%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 21.1% $54

Eating Out

Kitakyushu

$140 11.2%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 14.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Kitakyushu

$89 7.1%

Tokyo

$101 6% 13.5% $12

Getting Around

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 11.4% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2%

Tokyo

$84 5% 8.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Kitakyushu versus $1,329 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 97% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Kitakyushu versus $38 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $327 – making Kitakyushu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as Kitakyushu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

939,029

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kitakyushu Tokyo 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Kitakyushu vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Kitakyushu, $1,688 in Tokyo – Kitakyushu comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Kitakyushu and $2,533 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitakyushu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $555 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Kitakyushu and $38 in Tokyo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,250 in Kitakyushu and $1,688 in Tokyo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kitakyushu costs $1,250 versus $1,688 in Tokyo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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