Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagoya and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagoya: $1,373 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Nagoya
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Nagoya Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Nagoya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,373

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,373 in Nagoya versus $1,648 in Tokyo.

Nagoya $1,373
Tokyo $1,648

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,176 in Nagoya versus $2,604 in Tokyo.

Nagoya $2,176
Tokyo $2,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,979 in Nagoya versus $3,561 in Tokyo.

Nagoya $2,979
Tokyo $3,561

Living in Nagoya costs roughly 17% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nagoya 1% above, Tokyo 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.56 ¥1,353

$7.79 ¥1,230

9.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.66 ¥5,001

$38.57 ¥6,094

-17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥809

$4.99 ¥788

2.61%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ¥410

$3.58 ¥565

-27.65%

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

$1.26 ¥199

$1.57 ¥249

-19.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥140

$0.90 ¥142

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 ¥500

$3.75 ¥593

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥508

$5.22 ¥825

-38.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥247

$1.55 ¥246

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.75 ¥277

-14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥645

$5.56 ¥879

-26.62%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥345

$2.25 ¥355

-2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ¥2,450

$11.31 ¥1,787

37.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 ¥1,110

$6.76 ¥1,068

3.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 ¥2,664

$16.83 ¥2,658

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$8.24 ¥1,302

$4.66 ¥736

76.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 ¥482

$2.27 ¥359

34.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.10 ¥805

$4.33 ¥683

17.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.96 ¥1,257

$5.23 ¥826

52.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

$3.33 ¥526

23.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 ¥735

$3.00 ¥474

55.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.83 ¥130

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 ¥623

$3.88 ¥613

1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 ¥1,460

$9.53 ¥1,506

-3.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ¥397

$1.63 ¥257

53.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$2.62 ¥414

-17.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.22 ¥193

21.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 ¥18.6K

$62.3 ¥9,848

89.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 ¥507

$3.19 ¥505

0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 ¥446

$3.09 ¥489

-8.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.07 ¥2,539

$18.70 ¥2,954

-14.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.11 ¥175

-0.90%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-1.76%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

2.49%

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

$115 ¥18.1K

$148 ¥23.4K

-22.60%

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

$23.43 ¥3,702

$22.75 ¥3,594

2.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.91 ¥4,883

$29.86 ¥4,717

3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 ¥7,959

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 ¥2,177

$26.19 ¥4,137

-47.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 ¥2,003

$13.22 ¥2,089

-4.08%

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

$573 ¥90.5K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-56.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-16.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,922

$54.3 ¥8,584

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 ¥5,601

$32.73 ¥5,172

8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 ¥9,543

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 ¥15.3K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

37.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥82.7K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-59.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥55.7K

$684 ¥108.1K

-48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ¥194.0K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-51.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ¥117.5K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-49.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,026 ¥320.1K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-77.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,039 ¥164.1K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-75.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,871 ¥295.6K

$2,994 ¥473.0K

-37.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

2.25

-10.22%

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

Last update for Nagoya: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nagoya

$380 27.7%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 14.3% $54

Accommodation & Living

Nagoya

$352 25.7%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 94.3% $332

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nagoya

$169 12.3%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 18.8% $32

Eating Out

Nagoya

$146 10.6%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 9.3% $14

Getting Around

Nagoya

$141 10.3%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 39.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Nagoya

$109 8%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 8.3% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Nagoya

$76 5.5%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 21.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Nagoya and $1,288 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 60% 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: $32.00 in Nagoya vs $39.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $326, with Tokyo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nagoya

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

Same time as Nagoya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,236,000

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

Nagoya vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagoya is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% 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: $523 in Nagoya versus $1,288 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nagoya runs roughly 89% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $573 in Nagoya versus $1,314 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,373 in Nagoya versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagoya but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Nagoya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nagoya is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tokyo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nagoya 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 Nagoya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.