Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shizuoka and Kobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,148 a month against $1,392 in Kobe, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Kobe
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Kobe Living Index

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Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,148

/mo nomad

Kobe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shizuoka and in Kobe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shizuoka and in Kobe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Shizuoka versus $1,392 in Kobe.

Shizuoka $1,148
Kobe $1,392

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,798 in Shizuoka versus $2,067 in Kobe.

Shizuoka $1,798
Kobe $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Shizuoka versus $2,742 in Kobe.

Shizuoka $2,448
Kobe $2,742

Living in Shizuoka costs roughly 17% less than in Kobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shizuoka is 16% below, Kobe is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.30 ¥995

$7.70 ¥1,216

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.90 ¥5,037

$31.86 ¥5,031

0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥809

$4.91 ¥776

4.48%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ¥453

$2.37 ¥375

21.10%

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

$0.98 ¥155

$1.19 ¥188

-17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.57 ¥90.0

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥415

$2.12 ¥335

24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ¥605

$2.30 ¥363

66.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥237

$1.57 ¥248

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.34 ¥211

-3.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ¥682

$4.17 ¥658

3.60%

Eggs

$1.85 ¥292

$2.04 ¥322

-9.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 ¥1,134

$12.61 ¥1,990

-43.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 ¥848

$6.78 ¥1,070

-20.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 ¥2,216

$17.06 ¥2,694

-17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$7.70 ¥1,216

-56.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ¥320

$3.06 ¥484

-33.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$4.97 ¥784

-31.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 ¥499

$7.71 ¥1,217

-59.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$3.84 ¥606

-60.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ¥188

$3.45 ¥545

-65.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥184

$1.13 ¥179

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.94 ¥148

-6.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥593

$3.48 ¥549

7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 ¥1,362

$8.05 ¥1,271

7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥232

$1.96 ¥310

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ¥491

$1.45 ¥229

114.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 ¥288

$1.45 ¥229

25.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 ¥9,040

$62.4 ¥9,856

-8.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 ¥536

$3.11 ¥491

9.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ¥294

$3.24 ¥511

-42.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.90 ¥2,984

$26.72 ¥4,218

-29.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥171

$1.06 ¥168

1.89%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$19.9K ¥3.1M

12.20%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-1.45%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$148 ¥23.3K

-5.76%

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

$15.65 ¥2,470

$23.26 ¥3,672

-32.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.27 ¥4,937

$31.25 ¥4,933

0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 ¥8,082

$46.90 ¥7,405

9.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ¥1,695

$11.83 ¥1,868

-9.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ¥1,901

$12.86 ¥2,031

-6.38%

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

$319 ¥50.4K

$321 ¥50.6K

-0.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ¥2.1M

$6,141 ¥969.5K

113.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.15 ¥2,865

$50.6 ¥7,990

-64.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 ¥3,489

$25.01 ¥3,949

-11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ¥9,781

$45.98 ¥7,260

34.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 ¥14.5K

$65.6 ¥10.4K

40.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥53.0K

$691 ¥109.0K

-51.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥53.7K

$463 ¥73.1K

-26.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 ¥161.7K

$1,100 ¥173.7K

-6.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.6K

$737 ¥116.4K

-0.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,248 ¥670.6K

$4,325 ¥682.9K

-1.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,319 ¥366.2K

$2,894 ¥456.9K

-19.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,263 ¥357.3K

$1,975 ¥311.8K

14.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

-50.50%

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

Last update for Shizuoka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kobe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shizuoka

$340 29.6%

Kobe

$463 33.3% 36.1% $123

Groceries & Markets

Shizuoka

$254 22.1%

Kobe

$355 25.5% 39.7% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shizuoka

$186 16.2%

Kobe

$202 14.5% 8.7% $16

Eating Out

Shizuoka

$128 11.1%

Kobe

$127 9.1% 0.6% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Shizuoka

$87 7.6%

Kobe

$84 6.1% 3.6% $3.2

Getting Around

Shizuoka

$77 6.7%

Kobe

$88 6.3% 13.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Shizuoka

$75 6.6%

Kobe

$73 5.2% 3.5% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Shizuoka and $691 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Shizuoka vs $32 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $355 per month, with Shizuoka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Kobe

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

Same time as Shizuoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,803

1,537,272

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 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

Shizuoka vs Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shizuoka wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Kobe. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shizuoka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Shizuoka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $335 in Shizuoka versus $691 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Shizuoka versus $321 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Shizuoka runs roughly 8% less than in Kobe. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Shizuoka and Kobe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.