Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saitama and Yokohama

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,007 a month against $1,330 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index

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Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,007

/mo nomad

Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Saitama vs $1,330 in Yokohama, rent included.

Saitama $1,007
Yokohama $1,330

A couple spends around $1,330 per month in Saitama vs $2,071 in Yokohama, rent included.

Saitama $1,330
Yokohama $2,071

A family of three spends $1,653 per month in Saitama vs $2,812 in Yokohama, rent included.

Saitama $1,653
Yokohama $2,812

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

Both Saitama and Yokohama are more affordable than the global median – Saitama 26% lower, Yokohama 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 ¥876

$6.36 ¥1,006

-12.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.14 ¥4,920

$41.63 ¥6,578

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 ¥768

$5.10 ¥807

-4.71%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥486

$3.37 ¥533

-8.90%

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

$0.72 ¥114

$1.08 ¥171

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥103

$0.73 ¥116

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ¥389

$2.55 ¥404

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥503

$3.11 ¥491

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥229

$1.38 ¥218

5.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥260

$1.73 ¥273

-5.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ¥423

$3.68 ¥581

-27.17%

Eggs

$2.00 ¥316

$2.08 ¥329

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 ¥1,601

$10.15 ¥1,604

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 ¥861

$5.91 ¥934

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 ¥2,281

$14.31 ¥2,260

0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 ¥882

$5.67 ¥896

-1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ¥355

$2.74 ¥432

-17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ¥449

$2.95 ¥466

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥662

$4.20 ¥664

-0.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥412

$2.62 ¥414

-0.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$2.64 ¥417

-40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.30 ¥205

-3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.81 ¥128

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 ¥585

$3.70 ¥584

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 ¥999

$6.38 ¥1,008

-0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥274

$1.75 ¥277

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥333

$2.07 ¥326

1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 ¥545

$1.43 ¥226

141.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ¥8,974

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥492

$3.11 ¥491

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 ¥427

$2.61 ¥413

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 ¥3,190

$20.20 ¥3,192

-0.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

$21.4K ¥3.4M

2.19%

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

$14.4K ¥2.3M

$16.0K ¥2.5M

-10.22%

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

$131 ¥20.7K

$130 ¥20.6K

0.64%

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

$17.62 ¥2,784

$24.60 ¥3,887

-28.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.87 ¥5,036

$32.16 ¥5,082

-0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ¥9,721

$50.5 ¥7,970

21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.66 ¥1,841

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 ¥1,757

$12.69 ¥2,005

-12.37%

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

$620 ¥97.9K

$642 ¥101.5K

-3.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

2.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.90 ¥5,514

$61.1 ¥9,651

-42.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.61 ¥4,047

$36.79 ¥5,812

-30.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 ¥8,772

$62.2 ¥9,830

-10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 ¥9,773

$103 ¥16.3K

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥65.3K

$1,157 ¥182.7K

-64.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ¥37.4K

$449 ¥70.9K

-47.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 ¥357.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥136.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,363 ¥1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,327 ¥683.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 ¥237.7K

$2,656 ¥419.6K

-43.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.06

2.64

-21.97%

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

Last update for Saitama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Saitama

$275 27.4%

Yokohama

$288 21.7% 4.7% $13

Accommodation & Living

Saitama

$237 23.5%

Yokohama

$449 33.7% 89.6% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saitama

$181 17.9%

Yokohama

$187 14.1% 3.6% $6.4

Eating Out

Saitama

$120 11.9%

Yokohama

$133 10% 10.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Saitama

$84 8.3%

Yokohama

$76 5.7% 9.5% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Saitama

$80 8%

Yokohama

$118 8.9% 47.9% $38

Getting Around

Saitama

$30 * 3%

Yokohama

$79 5.9% 159% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Saitama versus $1,157 in Yokohama. 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 77% higher in Yokohama, 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 $42.00 in Yokohama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $288 – making Saitama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Saitama

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Saitama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,182,115

3,777,491

💱 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 Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yokohama is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,510 per month in Saitama and $1,995 in Yokohama. 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 $1,007 in Saitama and $1,330 in Yokohama. That's a gap of about 32%.

Kindergarten costs $620 per month in Saitama and $642 in Yokohama. 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 $1,007, than in Yokohama at $1,330. In Saitama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yokohama 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, Yokohama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.