Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saitama and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,003 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,003

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Saitama vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

Saitama $1,003
Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $1,327 per month in Saitama vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

Saitama $1,327
Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $1,650 per month in Saitama vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

Saitama $1,650
Tokyo $3,521

Saitama is about 40% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Saitama sits 26% below the global median, while Tokyo is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ¥869

$7.47 ¥1,180

-26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.36 ¥4,955

$37.48 ¥5,921

-16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 ¥758

$4.90 ¥774

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ¥461

$3.62 ¥571

-19.34%

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

$0.70 ¥111

$1.66 ¥262

-57.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥92.0

$0.84 ¥133

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.69 ¥582

-31.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥511

$5.24 ¥829

-38.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ¥220

$1.49 ¥236

-6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.75 ¥276

-6.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ¥436

$5.63 ¥889

-50.98%

Eggs

$2.00 ¥315

$2.20 ¥348

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,609

$11.19 ¥1,767

-9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ¥859

$6.84 ¥1,081

-20.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 ¥2,243

$16.61 ¥2,624

-14.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 ¥887

$4.80 ¥759

16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ¥342

$2.24 ¥354

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ¥459

$4.22 ¥666

-31.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$5.20 ¥821

-17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥395

$3.29 ¥520

-24.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 ¥255

$3.05 ¥481

-47.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.19 ¥188

9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.81 ¥129

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.92 ¥619

-0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 ¥1,018

$9.65 ¥1,524

-33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥284

$1.63 ¥258

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥318

$2.70 ¥426

-25.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 ¥525

$1.25 ¥197

165.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 ¥10.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥512

$3.13 ¥494

3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 ¥416

$3.21 ¥507

-18.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.14 ¥3,181

$18.55 ¥2,931

8.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.05 ¥166

4.76%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-0.50%

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

$14.2K ¥2.2M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-6.56%

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

$133 ¥21.0K

$149 ¥23.5K

-10.65%

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

$18.15 ¥2,867

$21.59 ¥3,412

-15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 ¥5,162

$30.62 ¥4,837

6.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 ¥9,909

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-5.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 ¥4,042

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 ¥1,752

$12.68 ¥2,004

-12.54%

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

$634 ¥100.1K

$1,350 ¥213.3K

-53.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-18.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.01 ¥5,531

$56.0 ¥8,853

-37.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 ¥3,989

$33.14 ¥5,236

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 ¥8,686

$64.3 ¥10.2K

-14.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.6 ¥9,891

$70.2 ¥11.1K

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 ¥65.3K

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-67.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ¥36.8K

$700 ¥110.6K

-66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 ¥395.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 ¥225.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,428 ¥1.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,236 ¥669.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,550 ¥244.9K

$2,998 ¥473.7K

-48.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.06

2.25

-8.44%

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

Last update for Saitama: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Saitama

$274 27.4%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 18.5% $51

Accommodation & Living

Saitama

$233 23.2%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 200% $467

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saitama

$184 18.3%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 9.4% $17

Eating Out

Saitama

$118 11.7%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 33.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Saitama

$85 8.5%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 8.4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Saitama

$80 8%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 25.7% $21

Getting Around

Saitama

$30 * 3%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 197% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $413 in Saitama 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.

Salaries run about 93% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Saitama versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $325 – making Saitama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Saitama

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Saitama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,182,115

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

Saitama vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,504 per month in Saitama and $2,495 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saitama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,003 in Saitama and $1,663 in Tokyo. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Saitama and $1,350 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saitama, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Saitama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saitama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Saitama. 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.