Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiso: $1,048 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Shiso vs $1,648 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shiso $1,048
Tokyo $1,648

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Shiso vs $2,604 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shiso $1,913
Tokyo $2,604

A family of three spends $2,777 per month in Shiso vs $3,561 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shiso $2,777
Tokyo $3,561

Shiso is about 36% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Shiso sits 23% below the global median, while Tokyo is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 ¥1,244

$7.79 ¥1,230

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 ¥10.7K

$38.57 ¥6,094

76.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 ¥993

$4.99 ¥788

26.05%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥584

$3.58 ¥565

3.07%

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

$0.83 ¥132

$1.57 ¥249

-47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.90 ¥142

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ¥407

$3.75 ¥593

-31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥497

$5.22 ¥825

-39.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.55 ¥246

-1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.75 ¥277

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 ¥769

$5.56 ¥879

-12.41%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥346

$2.25 ¥355

-2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,609

$11.31 ¥1,787

-9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,023

$6.76 ¥1,068

-4.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.01 ¥4,267

$16.83 ¥2,658

60.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥842

$4.66 ¥736

14.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$2.27 ¥359

14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 ¥641

$4.33 ¥683

-6.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥943

$5.23 ¥826

14.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$3.33 ¥526

28.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥411

$3.00 ¥474

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.16 ¥183

18.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ¥650

$3.88 ¥613

5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥1,211

$9.53 ¥1,506

-19.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.63 ¥257

17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥351

$2.62 ¥414

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ¥216

$1.22 ¥193

11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.90 ¥5,356

$62.3 ¥9,848

-45.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥564

$3.19 ¥505

11.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥455

$3.09 ¥489

-6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 ¥3,297

$18.70 ¥2,954

11.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.11 ¥175

15.32%

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

$22.9K ¥3.6M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

4.04%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

12.72%

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

$144 ¥22.8K

$148 ¥23.4K

-2.55%

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

$23.93 ¥3,781

$22.75 ¥3,594

5.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.58 ¥2,146

$29.86 ¥4,717

-54.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 ¥5,805

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥2,167

$26.19 ¥4,137

-47.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 ¥726

$13.22 ¥2,089

-65.28%

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

$283 ¥44.8K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-78.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-24.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 ¥1,589

$54.3 ¥8,584

-81.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 ¥4,720

$32.73 ¥5,172

-8.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.76 ¥5,334

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-48.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 ¥15.7K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

41.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥74.3K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-63.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥26.0K

$684 ¥108.1K

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥136.1K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-65.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥104.2K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-54.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,229 ¥668.1K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-54.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,769 ¥279.5K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-58.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

2.25

-20.89%

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

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shiso

$368 35.2%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 11.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiso

$182 17.4%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 10.4% $19

Accommodation & Living

Shiso

$165 15.7%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 315% $520

Eating Out

Shiso

$152 14.5%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 5.1% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Shiso

$78 7.4%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 28.7% $22

Getting Around

Shiso

$57 5.5%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 49.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Shiso

$46 4.4%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 100% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Shiso versus $1,288 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 $68.0 in Shiso versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $326 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shiso

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Shiso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,610

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

Shiso vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,572 per month in Shiso and $2,473 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiso, 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 $1,048 in Shiso and $1,648 in Tokyo. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Shiso. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiso, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Shiso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shiso – 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 Shiso. 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.