Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,221 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,221

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Nara versus $1,648 in Tokyo.

Nara $1,221
Tokyo $1,648

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Nara versus $2,604 in Tokyo.

Nara $1,827
Tokyo $2,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Nara versus $3,561 in Tokyo.

Nara $2,434
Tokyo $3,561

Living in Nara costs roughly 26% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nara is 10% below, Tokyo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.13 ¥968

$7.79 ¥1,230

-21.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.20 ¥4,929

$38.57 ¥6,094

-19.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ¥802

$4.99 ¥788

1.80%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$3.58 ¥565

-31.28%

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

$1.29 ¥204

$1.57 ¥249

-17.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥118

$0.90 ¥142

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 ¥488

$3.75 ¥593

-17.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ¥491

$5.22 ¥825

-40.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.55 ¥246

-1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.75 ¥277

-22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$5.56 ¥879

-26.08%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥347

$2.25 ¥355

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 ¥1,472

$11.31 ¥1,787

-17.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 ¥1,120

$6.76 ¥1,068

4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.12 ¥2,863

$16.83 ¥2,658

7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ¥535

$4.66 ¥736

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 ¥318

$2.27 ¥359

-11.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥328

$4.33 ¥683

-51.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$5.23 ¥826

-21.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ¥236

$3.33 ¥526

-55.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥178

$3.00 ¥474

-62.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥185

$1.16 ¥183

0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥138

$0.83 ¥130

4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.88 ¥613

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,536

$9.53 ¥1,506

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$1.63 ¥257

13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥342

$2.62 ¥414

-17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.22 ¥193

22.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.1 ¥11.5K

$62.3 ¥9,848

17.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ¥493

$3.19 ¥505

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ¥443

$3.09 ¥489

-9.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.03 ¥2,532

$18.70 ¥2,954

-14.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.11 ¥175

-1.80%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-3.33%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-0.82%

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

$113 ¥17.9K

$148 ¥23.4K

-23.43%

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

$24.64 ¥3,893

$22.75 ¥3,594

8.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.76 ¥4,859

$29.86 ¥4,717

3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 ¥12.8K

$65.5 ¥10.4K

23.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.34 ¥1,160

$26.19 ¥4,137

-71.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 ¥1,979

$13.22 ¥2,089

-5.22%

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

$510 ¥80.6K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-61.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ¥2.1M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-26.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.21 ¥7,459

$54.3 ¥8,584

-13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.38 ¥4,799

$32.73 ¥5,172

-7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 ¥9,405

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-8.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 ¥14.3K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ¥64.4K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-68.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ¥53.6K

$684 ¥108.1K

-50.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ¥131.0K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-66.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 ¥85.1K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-63.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,675 ¥422.7K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-70.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 ¥311.0K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-53.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,138 ¥179.8K

$2,994 ¥473.0K

-61.99%

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 Nara: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nara

$339 27.8%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 102% $345

Groceries & Markets

Nara

$284 23.3%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 14.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nara

$169 13.8%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 18.9% $32

Eating Out

Nara

$124 10.1%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 28.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nara

$106 8.7%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 13.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nara

$102 8.4%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 2% $2

Getting Around

Nara

$96 7.9%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 10.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Nara and $1,288 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 163% 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: $31.00 in Nara vs $39.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $326 per month, with Nara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nara

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

23:18 11:18 PM

Same time as Nara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

355,280

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

Nara vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 163% 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: $408 in Nara versus $1,288 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nara – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $39.00 in Tokyo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,221 per month in Nara versus $1,648 in Tokyo – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Nara versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nara but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Nara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nara 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, Nara 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 Nara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.