Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sagamihara and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sagamihara: $1,257 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sagamihara
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,257
/mo nomad
Tokyo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,257 per month in Sagamihara vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

  • Sagamihara $1,257
  • Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $2,021 per month in Sagamihara vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

  • Sagamihara $2,021
  • Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Sagamihara vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

  • Sagamihara $2,785
  • Tokyo $3,521

Sagamihara is about 24% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sagamihara sits 7% below the global median, while Tokyo is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.53 ¥1,348
$7.47 ¥1,180
14.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.01 ¥5,057
$37.48 ¥5,921
-14.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.91 ¥775
$4.90 ¥774
0.20%
Cappuccino
$2.46 ¥389
$3.62 ¥571
-32.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 ¥195
$1.66 ¥262
-25.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 ¥135
$0.84 ¥133
2.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.11 ¥492
$3.69 ¥582
-15.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 ¥486
$5.24 ¥829
-41.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 ¥147
$1.49 ¥236
-37.58%
White Bread (500g)
$0.62 ¥97.4
$1.75 ¥276
-64.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.18 ¥660
$5.63 ¥889
-25.75%
Eggs
$1.83 ¥290
$2.20 ¥348
-16.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.74 ¥2,486
$11.19 ¥1,767
40.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.96 ¥1,099
$6.84 ¥1,081
1.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.26 ¥2,727
$16.61 ¥2,624
3.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 ¥358
$4.80 ¥759
-52.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 ¥252
$2.24 ¥354
-28.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.02 ¥794
$4.22 ¥666
18.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.96 ¥1,257
$5.20 ¥821
53.08%
Potato (1kg)
$3.90 ¥616
$3.29 ¥520
18.54%
Onion (1kg)
$4.74 ¥749
$3.05 ¥481
55.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ¥178
$1.19 ¥188
-5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 ¥67.1
$0.81 ¥129
-48.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.98 ¥629
$3.92 ¥619
1.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 ¥1,515
$9.65 ¥1,524
-0.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 ¥412
$1.63 ¥258
60.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 ¥337
$2.70 ¥426
-21.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.32 ¥209
$1.25 ¥197
5.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.24 ¥7,463
$63.9 ¥10.1K
-26.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 ¥488
$3.13 ¥494
-1.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ¥444
$3.21 ¥507
-12.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.55 ¥2,457
$18.55 ¥2,931
-16.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.05 ¥166
0.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K ¥3.4M
$21.5K ¥3.4M
-0.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K ¥2.4M
$15.2K ¥2.4M
-0.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 ¥18.5K
$149 ¥23.5K
-20.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.13 ¥3,654
$21.59 ¥3,412
7.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.04 ¥4,904
$30.62 ¥4,837
1.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.1 ¥9,172
$66.7 ¥10.5K
-12.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.58 ¥4,042
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.33 ¥1,790
$12.68 ¥2,004
-10.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$580 ¥91.6K
$1,350 ¥213.3K
-57.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K ¥2.3M
$17.9K ¥2.8M
-18.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.53 ¥7,826
$56.0 ¥8,853
-11.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.82 ¥5,659
$33.14 ¥5,236
8.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.4 ¥9,695
$64.3 ¥10.2K
-4.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 ¥15.4K
$70.2 ¥11.1K
38.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$468 ¥73.9K
$1,253 ¥197.9K
-62.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$362 ¥57.1K
$700 ¥110.6K
-48.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,074 ¥169.7K
$2,502 ¥395.3K
-57.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$845 ¥133.5K
$1,430 ¥225.9K
-40.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,844 ¥765.3K
$9,428 ¥1.5M
-48.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,779 ¥281.0K
$4,236 ¥669.3K
-58.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sagamihara
Tokyo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,998 ¥473.7K
-
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 Sagamihara: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sagamihara
$362
Tokyo
$700 93.6% $338
Groceries & Markets
Sagamihara
$321
Tokyo
$325 1.1% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sagamihara
$172
Tokyo
$201 17% $29
Eating Out
Sagamihara
$143
Tokyo
$157 9.9% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Sagamihara
$110
Tokyo
$101 8.4% $9.2
Sport & Entertainment
Sagamihara
$81
Tokyo
$92 14% $11
Getting Around
Sagamihara
$70
Tokyo
$88 26.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $468 in Sagamihara versus $1,253 in Tokyo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Sagamihara versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $325 – making Sagamihara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Sagamihara
🇯🇵 Tokyo
🕒 Local time
21:34 9:34 PM
21:34 9:34 PM
Same time as Sagamihara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
725,493
13,613,660 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sagamihara Tokyo 37 km
From you
  • Sagamihara
  • Tokyo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sagamihara vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sagamihara or Tokyo?
Tokyo costs about 32% more than Sagamihara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sagamihara and in Tokyo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,886 per month in Sagamihara and $2,495 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sagamihara or Tokyo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sagamihara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Sagamihara compared to Tokyo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,257 in Sagamihara and $1,663 in Tokyo. That's a gap of about 32%.
How expensive is transport in Sagamihara compared to Tokyo?
Public transport costs about 35% less in Sagamihara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Sagamihara or in Tokyo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sagamihara, where all-in costs run around $1,257, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Sagamihara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sagamihara or Tokyo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sagamihara costs $1,257 versus $1,663 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Sagamihara compared to Tokyo?
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.
Should I move to Sagamihara or to Tokyo?
If budget matters most, go with Sagamihara. 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.

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