Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morioka and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Morioka: $1,189 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Morioka
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Morioka Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Morioka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,189

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,189 per month in Morioka vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Morioka $1,189
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $1,898 per month in Morioka vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Morioka $1,898
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,607 per month in Morioka vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Morioka $2,607
Tokyo $3,489

Morioka is about 30% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Morioka sits 13% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ¥982

$7.72 ¥1,220

-19.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.27 ¥5,094

$37.51 ¥5,923

-13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$5.01 ¥790

2.79%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥482

$3.68 ¥580

-16.85%

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

$1.14 ¥180

$1.51 ¥239

-24.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥127

$0.85 ¥133

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥415

$3.77 ¥596

-30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥511

$5.75 ¥908

-43.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥232

$1.49 ¥236

-1.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.73 ¥273

-10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥644

$5.80 ¥916

-29.66%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥336

$2.25 ¥355

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 ¥1,569

$11.50 ¥1,815

-13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 ¥1,176

$6.96 ¥1,099

7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.63 ¥2,626

$16.39 ¥2,588

1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 ¥636

$4.73 ¥747

-14.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ¥328

$2.28 ¥360

-8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 ¥479

$4.26 ¥673

-28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 ¥752

$5.37 ¥847

-11.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 ¥438

$3.29 ¥520

-15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ¥431

$3.00 ¥474

-9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥210

$1.15 ¥181

15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥144

$0.80 ¥126

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ¥564

$3.89 ¥615

-8.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 ¥1,077

$9.72 ¥1,535

-29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥264

$1.70 ¥269

-1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥378

$2.66 ¥420

-10.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥232

$1.25 ¥197

17.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 ¥9,086

$62.4 ¥9,858

-7.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥511

$3.15 ¥497

2.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.14 ¥495

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.05 ¥3,008

$18.98 ¥2,996

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.11 ¥175

-4.50%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$22.5K ¥3.6M

-15.41%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.90%

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

$137 ¥21.6K

$147 ¥23.2K

-6.82%

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

$23.86 ¥3,768

$23.17 ¥3,659

2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 ¥4,921

$30.10 ¥4,752

3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 ¥7,975

$57.4 ¥9,069

-12.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$13.62 ¥2,151

$13.39 ¥2,114

1.72%

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

$759 ¥119.8K

$1,410 ¥222.7K

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-27.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 ¥6,803

$55.3 ¥8,735

-22.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.59 ¥4,987

$32.43 ¥5,120

-2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ¥11.0K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$72.1 ¥11.4K

41.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥98.9K

$1,329 ¥209.9K

-52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ¥47.3K

$729 ¥115.0K

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 ¥144.7K

$2,622 ¥414.0K

-65.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 ¥111.5K

$1,401 ¥221.2K

-49.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,709 ¥743.5K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-56.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,118 ¥334.4K

$5,054 ¥798.0K

-58.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.25

-1.78%

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

Last update for Morioka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Morioka

$300 25.2%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 143% $429

Groceries & Markets

Morioka

$297 25%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 10.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morioka

$192 16.1%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 4.3% $8.3

Eating Out

Morioka

$129 10.9%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 24.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Morioka

$111 9.3%

Tokyo

$101 6% 8.9% $9.8

Getting Around

Morioka

$82 6.9%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 4.9% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Morioka

$78 6.5%

Tokyo

$84 5% 8.3% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Morioka 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Morioka versus $38 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $327 – making Morioka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Morioka

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

Same time as Morioka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

289,731

13,613,660 Capital

💱 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

Morioka vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,189 in Morioka, $1,688 in Tokyo – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,783 per month in Morioka 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 Morioka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $626 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Tokyo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Morioka 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 $1,189 in Morioka and $1,688 in Tokyo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Morioka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Morioka is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 42% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.