Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagano and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,231 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Nagano
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Nagano Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Nagano vs $1,648 in Tokyo, rent included.

Nagano $1,231
Tokyo $1,648

A couple spends around $1,891 per month in Nagano vs $2,604 in Tokyo, rent included.

Nagano $1,891
Tokyo $2,604

A family of three spends $2,550 per month in Nagano vs $3,561 in Tokyo, rent included.

Nagano $2,550
Tokyo $3,561

Nagano is about 25% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nagano sits 9% below the global median, while Tokyo is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,019

$7.79 ¥1,230

-17.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.32 ¥6,370

$38.57 ¥6,094

4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥810

$4.99 ¥788

2.81%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ¥532

$3.58 ¥565

-5.87%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.57 ¥249

-32.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.90 ¥142

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ¥409

$3.75 ¥593

-30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$5.22 ¥825

-41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥228

$1.55 ¥246

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥260

$1.75 ¥277

-6.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 ¥564

$5.56 ¥879

-35.79%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$2.25 ¥355

-11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 ¥1,630

$11.31 ¥1,787

-8.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ¥975

$6.76 ¥1,068

-8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 ¥2,275

$16.83 ¥2,658

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 ¥919

$4.66 ¥736

24.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ¥425

$2.27 ¥359

18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ¥448

$4.33 ¥683

-34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 ¥642

$5.23 ¥826

-22.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥396

$3.33 ¥526

-24.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥401

$3.00 ¥474

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.16 ¥183

7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.83 ¥130

-8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥582

$3.88 ¥613

-5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ¥982

$9.53 ¥1,506

-34.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥287

$1.63 ¥257

11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥317

$2.62 ¥414

-23.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.22 ¥193

7.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 ¥8,082

$62.3 ¥9,848

-17.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥501

$3.19 ¥505

-0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 ¥427

$3.09 ¥489

-12.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.17 ¥3,187

$18.70 ¥2,954

7.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.11 ¥175

-5.41%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-1.86%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

2.73%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$148 ¥23.4K

-12.16%

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

$23.91 ¥3,778

$22.75 ¥3,594

5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.76 ¥2,016

$29.86 ¥4,717

-57.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,387

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-18.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$12.71 ¥2,008

$13.22 ¥2,089

-3.86%

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

$622 ¥98.3K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-52.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-16.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ¥9,759

$54.3 ¥8,584

13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 ¥5,733

$32.73 ¥5,172

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ¥9,797

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ¥15.8K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 ¥88.0K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-56.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥59.2K

$684 ¥108.1K

-45.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ¥180.4K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-54.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ¥102.4K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-55.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,188 ¥661.7K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-54.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,974 ¥311.9K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-53.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 ¥99.0K

$2,994 ¥473.0K

-79.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.25

17.33%

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

Last update for Nagano: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nagano

$375 30.4%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 82.6% $310

Groceries & Markets

Nagano

$287 23.3%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 13.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nagano

$167 13.6%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 20.3% $34

Eating Out

Nagano

$134 10.9%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 19% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nagano

$117 9.5%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 14.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nagano

$79 6.4%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 17.1% $13

Getting Around

Nagano

$73 5.9%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 17.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Nagano versus $1,288 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 378% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Nagano versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Nagano vs $326 in Tokyo – so Nagano wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nagano

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Nagano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

372,760

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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nagano vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 34% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Nagano and $2,473 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Nagano and $39.00 in Tokyo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,231 in Nagano and $1,648 in Tokyo. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nagano costs $1,231 versus $1,648 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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