Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara, Japan and Yokohama

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,233 a month against $1,340 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yokohama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index

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Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,233

/mo nomad

Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,233 in Nara versus $1,340 in Yokohama.

Nara $1,233
Yokohama $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,851 in Nara versus $2,054 in Yokohama.

Nara $1,851
Yokohama $2,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,468 in Nara versus $2,768 in Yokohama.

Nara $2,468
Yokohama $2,768

Living in Nara costs roughly 8% less than in Yokohama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nara 9% lower, Yokohama 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥999

$6.45 ¥1,019

-1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.27 ¥5,095

$40.72 ¥6,429

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥787

$5.19 ¥820

-3.85%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥395

$3.41 ¥538

-26.69%

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

$1.26 ¥199

$1.06 ¥167

18.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.74 ¥116

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.60 ¥410

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ¥490

$3.09 ¥489

0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.46 ¥231

7.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.75 ¥277

-25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$3.59 ¥567

14.76%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥353

$2.03 ¥320

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 ¥1,540

$10.26 ¥1,620

-4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ¥1,117

$6.14 ¥970

15.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.13 ¥2,862

$14.66 ¥2,314

23.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ¥522

$5.54 ¥875

-40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.76 ¥436

-30.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ¥334

$2.96 ¥467

-28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥644

$4.10 ¥647

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ¥236

$2.52 ¥398

-40.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ¥179

$2.58 ¥407

-55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ¥179

$1.30 ¥205

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.77 ¥121

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.90 ¥616

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,505

$6.30 ¥995

51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.82 ¥288

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥339

$2.09 ¥331

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$1.37 ¥217

8.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 ¥11.7K

$62.4 ¥9,856

19.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥498

$3.11 ¥491

1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 ¥462

$2.66 ¥420

9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.66 ¥2,472

$20.61 ¥3,254

-24.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥170

$1.07 ¥169

0.93%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

0.79%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$16.1K ¥2.5M

-4.94%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$130 ¥20.6K

-9.54%

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

$24.81 ¥3,918

$24.74 ¥3,906

0.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 ¥4,854

$32.65 ¥5,155

-5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 ¥13.1K

$48.93 ¥7,725

69.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.58 ¥1,197

$11.78 ¥1,860

-35.65%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 ¥1,985

$13.09 ¥2,067

-3.97%

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

$693 ¥109.4K

$805 ¥127.1K

-13.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-11.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,437

$61.7 ¥9,733

-23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.96 ¥4,888

$37.72 ¥5,956

-17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 ¥9,751

$62.6 ¥9,887

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ¥14.2K

$102 ¥16.1K

-11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.9K

$1,097 ¥173.1K

-62.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥53.7K

$450 ¥71.0K

-24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 ¥131.4K

$1,796 ¥283.6K

-53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 ¥86.3K

$805 ¥127.0K

-32.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 ¥421.6K

$5,778 ¥912.2K

-53.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ¥322.1K

$4,066 ¥641.9K

-49.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 ¥177.2K

$2,669 ¥421.4K

-57.94%

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 Nara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nara

$340 27.6%

Yokohama

$450 33.6% 32.3% $110

Groceries & Markets

Nara

$285 23.1%

Yokohama

$290 21.6% 1.8% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nara

$173 14.1%

Yokohama

$188 14% 8.2% $14

Eating Out

Nara

$126 10.2%

Yokohama

$134 10% 7% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nara

$108 8.8%

Yokohama

$75 5.6% 30.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Nara

$103 8.4%

Yokohama

$119 8.9% 14.8% $15

Getting Around

Nara

$98 8%

Yokohama

$84 6.3% 14% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Nara and $1,097 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Nara vs $41 in Yokohama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $290 per month, with Nara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nara

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

Same time as Nara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

355,280

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

Nara vs Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Nara. 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: $411 in Nara versus $1,097 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yokohama runs roughly 16% less than in Nara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,233 per month in Nara versus $1,340 in Yokohama – Nara is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Nara 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.

It comes down to priorities – Nara wins on affordability, Yokohama on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.