Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiga and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiga: $1,207 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.

58

Cost of Living Index in Shiga
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Shiga Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Shiga

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,207

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Shiga vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shiga $1,207
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $1,897 per month in Shiga vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shiga $1,897
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,588 per month in Shiga vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shiga $2,588
Tokyo $3,489

Shiga is about 29% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shiga sits 11% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 ¥975

$7.72 ¥1,217

-19.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ¥4,998

$37.51 ¥5,909

-15.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥781

$5.01 ¥788

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥465

$3.68 ¥579

-19.84%

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

$1.31 ¥206

$1.51 ¥238

-13.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥110

$0.85 ¥133

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ¥435

$3.77 ¥594

-26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ¥556

$5.75 ¥906

-38.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.49 ¥235

-14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ¥195

$1.73 ¥273

-28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 ¥613

$5.80 ¥913

-32.93%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥321

$2.25 ¥354

-9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,488

$11.50 ¥1,811

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 ¥1,448

$6.96 ¥1,096

32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 ¥2,911

$16.39 ¥2,582

12.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 ¥541

$4.73 ¥745

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ¥320

$2.28 ¥359

-10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ¥322

$4.26 ¥671

-52.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ¥625

$5.37 ¥845

-26.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥239

$3.29 ¥519

-53.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ¥179

$3.00 ¥473

-62.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥215

$1.15 ¥181

18.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$0.80 ¥126

8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥625

$3.89 ¥613

2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 ¥1,539

$9.72 ¥1,531

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥300

$1.70 ¥268

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥492

$2.66 ¥419

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.25 ¥197

-7.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ¥8,854

$62.4 ¥9,835

-9.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ¥609

$3.15 ¥495

22.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 ¥504

$3.14 ¥494

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.98 ¥3,463

$18.98 ¥2,989

15.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥172

$1.11 ¥175

-1.80%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$22.5K ¥3.5M

0.80%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-0.52%

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

$137 ¥21.6K

$147 ¥23.1K

-6.68%

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

$24.58 ¥3,872

$23.17 ¥3,650

6.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 ¥2,954

$30.10 ¥4,741

-37.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ¥8,194

$57.4 ¥9,048

-9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,171

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 ¥1,977

$13.39 ¥2,109

-6.27%

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

$697 ¥109.9K

$1,410 ¥222.1K

-50.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥2.1M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-28.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.59 ¥7,654

$55.3 ¥8,715

-12.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.84 ¥4,858

$32.43 ¥5,108

-4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 ¥11.6K

$64.4 ¥10.1K

13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 ¥14.2K

$72.1 ¥11.4K

25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ¥86.8K

$1,329 ¥209.4K

-58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.0K

$729 ¥114.8K

-53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 ¥157.1K

$2,622 ¥413.1K

-61.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ¥114.5K

$1,401 ¥220.7K

-48.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,617 ¥727.2K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-56.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,022 ¥318.4K

$5,054 ¥796.1K

-60.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 ¥190.7K

$3,019 ¥475.5K

-59.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.25

-1.78%

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

Last update for Shiga: 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

Shiga

$337 27.9%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 116% $392

Groceries & Markets

Shiga

$294 24.4%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 11.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiga

$180 15%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 10.9% $20

Eating Out

Shiga

$129 10.7%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 24.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Shiga

$109 9.1%

Tokyo

$101 6% 7.7% $8.4

Getting Around

Shiga

$81 6.7%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 6.9% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Shiga

$77 6.4%

Tokyo

$84 5% 9.2% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $551 in Shiga versus $1,329 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 in Tokyo are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Shiga versus $38 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $327 – making Shiga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shiga

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

Same time as Shiga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,836

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 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

Shiga vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Shiga, $1,688 in Tokyo – Shiga comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Shiga and $2,533 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $551 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Kindergarten costs $697 per month in Shiga and $1,410 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,207 in Shiga and $1,688 in Tokyo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Shiga. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.