Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kobe and Yokohama

For one person, living costs are similar in Kobe and in Yokohama: $1,392 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

67

Cost of Living Index in Kobe
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Kobe Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index

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Kobe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,392

/mo nomad

Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kobe and in Yokohama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Kobe versus $1,340 in Yokohama.

Kobe $1,392
Yokohama $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Kobe versus $2,054 in Yokohama.

Kobe $2,067
Yokohama $2,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,742 in Kobe versus $2,768 in Yokohama.

Kobe $2,742
Yokohama $2,768

Living in Kobe is roughly 4% more expensive than in Yokohama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kobe is 2% above, Yokohama is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 ¥1,217

$6.45 ¥1,019

19.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.86 ¥5,034

$40.72 ¥6,433

-21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥776

$5.19 ¥820

-5.39%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ¥375

$3.41 ¥539

-30.50%

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

$1.19 ¥188

$1.06 ¥167

12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥90.1

$0.74 ¥116

-22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ¥335

$2.60 ¥410

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ¥363

$3.09 ¥489

-25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.46 ¥231

7.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.75 ¥277

-23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 ¥658

$3.59 ¥567

16.16%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥322

$2.03 ¥320

0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 ¥1,992

$10.26 ¥1,621

22.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ¥1,071

$6.14 ¥970

10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 ¥2,696

$14.66 ¥2,316

16.37%

Apples (1kg)

$7.70 ¥1,217

$5.54 ¥876

38.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 ¥484

$2.76 ¥437

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.97 ¥785

$2.96 ¥468

67.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.71 ¥1,218

$4.10 ¥648

88.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ¥606

$2.52 ¥398

52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ¥545

$2.58 ¥407

33.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ¥179

$1.30 ¥205

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$0.77 ¥121

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ¥549

$3.90 ¥617

-10.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 ¥1,271

$6.30 ¥995

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$1.82 ¥288

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥230

$2.09 ¥331

-30.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ¥229

$1.37 ¥217

5.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,862

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥492

$3.11 ¥491

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.66 ¥421

21.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.72 ¥4,221

$20.61 ¥3,256

29.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.07 ¥169

-0.93%

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

$19.9K ¥3.1M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

-7.84%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$16.1K ¥2.5M

-4.16%

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

$148 ¥23.3K

$130 ¥20.6K

13.40%

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

$23.26 ¥3,674

$24.74 ¥3,909

-5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.25 ¥4,936

$32.65 ¥5,159

-4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.90 ¥7,410

$48.93 ¥7,730

-4.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.83 ¥1,869

$11.78 ¥1,861

0.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.86 ¥2,032

$13.09 ¥2,068

-1.76%

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

$321 ¥50.6K

$805 ¥127.2K

-60.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,141 ¥970.2K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-58.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 ¥7,995

$61.7 ¥9,739

-17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.01 ¥3,952

$37.72 ¥5,960

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.98 ¥7,265

$62.6 ¥9,893

-26.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 ¥10.4K

$102 ¥16.1K

-35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 ¥109.1K

$1,097 ¥173.2K

-37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ¥73.1K

$450 ¥71.0K

2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.8K

$1,796 ¥283.8K

-38.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 ¥116.4K

$805 ¥127.1K

-8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,325 ¥683.3K

$5,778 ¥912.8K

-25.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,894 ¥457.2K

$4,066 ¥642.3K

-28.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 ¥312.0K

$2,669 ¥421.7K

-26.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

2.64

-23.48%

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

Last update for Kobe: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kobe

$463 33.3%

Yokohama

$450 33.6% 2.8% $13

Groceries & Markets

Kobe

$355 25.5%

Yokohama

$290 21.6% 18.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kobe

$202 14.5%

Yokohama

$188 14% 7.2% $15

Eating Out

Kobe

$127 9.1%

Yokohama

$134 10% 5.8% $7.4

Getting Around

Kobe

$88 6.3%

Yokohama

$84 6.3% 3.6% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Kobe

$84 6.1%

Yokohama

$119 8.9% 40.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Kobe

$73 5.2%

Yokohama

$75 5.6% 3.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $691 in Kobe and $1,097 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Kobe vs $41 in Yokohama. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $290, with Yokohama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kobe

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

Same time as Kobe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,272

3,777,491

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 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

Kobe vs Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yokohama wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Kobe. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yokohama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Kobe. 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: $691 in Kobe versus $1,097 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Kobe versus $805 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kobe – a meal for two runs $32 versus $41 in Yokohama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Yokohama gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Kobe and Yokohama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.