Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Narita and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Narita: $1,203 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Narita, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Narita
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,203
/mo nomad
Tokyo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,688
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in Narita versus $1,688 in Tokyo.

  • Narita $1,203
  • Tokyo $1,688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Narita versus $2,588 in Tokyo.

  • Narita $1,912
  • Tokyo $2,588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,620 in Narita versus $3,489 in Tokyo.

  • Narita $2,620
  • Tokyo $3,489

Living in Narita costs roughly 29% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Narita is 12% below, Tokyo is 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.73 ¥904
$7.72 ¥1,218
-25.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.80 ¥6,592
$37.51 ¥5,915
11.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.42 ¥697
$5.01 ¥789
-11.78%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ¥513
$3.68 ¥580
-11.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥124
$1.51 ¥239
-48.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ¥116
$0.85 ¥133
-14.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.07 ¥326
$3.77 ¥595
-45.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 ¥508
$5.75 ¥907
-44.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ¥196
$1.49 ¥235
-16.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 ¥272
$1.73 ¥273
-0.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.63 ¥573
$5.80 ¥914
-37.41%
Eggs
$1.98 ¥313
$2.25 ¥354
-12.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.31 ¥1,626
$11.50 ¥1,813
-10.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.13 ¥966
$6.96 ¥1,098
-11.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.34 ¥2,262
$16.39 ¥2,585
-12.51%
Apples (1kg)
$5.83 ¥919
$4.73 ¥746
23.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 ¥431
$2.28 ¥359
19.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ¥460
$4.26 ¥672
-31.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.16 ¥656
$5.37 ¥846
-22.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 ¥417
$3.29 ¥519
-19.76%
Onion (1kg)
$2.69 ¥423
$3.00 ¥473
-10.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 ¥206
$1.15 ¥181
13.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥129
$0.80 ¥126
2.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.78 ¥596
$3.89 ¥614
-2.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 ¥980
$9.72 ¥1,533
-36.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 ¥283
$1.70 ¥269
5.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 ¥329
$2.66 ¥419
-21.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 ¥234
$1.25 ¥197
18.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.9 ¥10.2K
$62.4 ¥9,845
3.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 ¥512
$3.15 ¥496
3.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 ¥255
$3.14 ¥494
-48.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.95 ¥3,303
$18.98 ¥2,992
10.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 ¥162
$1.11 ¥175
-7.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ¥3.4M
$22.5K ¥3.5M
-3.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.1K ¥2.5M
$15.3K ¥2.4M
4.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 ¥20.6K
$147 ¥23.2K
-11.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.14 ¥3,806
$23.17 ¥3,654
4.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.35 ¥4,470
$30.10 ¥4,746
-5.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ¥8,254
$57.4 ¥9,057
-8.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.48 ¥4,175
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.49 ¥1,811
$13.39 ¥2,111
-14.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$828 ¥130.6K
$1,410 ¥222.4K
-41.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ¥2.3M
$18.6K ¥2.9M
-20.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.3 ¥9,818
$55.3 ¥8,724
12.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.42 ¥5,742
$32.43 ¥5,114
12.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 ¥9,620
$64.4 ¥10.2K
-5.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 ¥16.5K
$72.1 ¥11.4K
45.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$540 ¥85.1K
$1,329 ¥209.6K
-59.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 ¥52.6K
$729 ¥114.9K
-54.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$901 ¥142.1K
$2,622 ¥413.5K
-65.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$700 ¥110.3K
$1,401 ¥220.9K
-50.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,825 ¥603.2K
$10.7K ¥1.7M
-64.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,316 ¥365.3K
$5,054 ¥796.9K
-54.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Narita
Tokyo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,258 ¥198.3K
$3,019 ¥476.0K
-58.33%
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 Narita: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Narita
$334
Tokyo
$729 118% $395
Groceries & Markets
Narita
$289
Tokyo
$327 13.4% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Narita
$183
Tokyo
$200 9.3% $17
Eating Out
Narita
$121
Tokyo
$161 32.8% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Narita
$119
Tokyo
$101 15.2% $18
Getting Around
Narita
$82
Tokyo
$86 5% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Narita
$75
Tokyo
$84 11.8% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Narita and $1,329 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Dining out: $42 in Narita vs $38 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $327, with Narita cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Narita
🇯🇵 Tokyo
🕒 Local time
20:09 8:09 PM
20:09 8:09 PM
Same time as Narita
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
131,613
13,613,660 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

On the map
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  • Narita Tokyo 51 km
From you
  • Narita
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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
Narita vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Narita cheaper than Tokyo?
Narita is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Narita or Tokyo?
On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Narita. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Narita and Tokyo?
Rent for a central apartment: $540 in Narita versus $1,329 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Tokyo runs roughly 4% less than in Narita. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $828 in Narita versus $1,410 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Narita or in Tokyo?
At $1,203 in Narita versus $1,688 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Narita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Narita or in Tokyo?
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.
Which city is safer, Narita or Tokyo?
Safety-wise, Narita and Tokyo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Narita wins on affordability, Tokyo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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