Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suginami-ku and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Suginami-ku: $1,256 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Suginami-ku
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Suginami-ku Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Suginami-ku

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,256

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Suginami-ku vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

Suginami-ku $1,256
Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $1,994 per month in Suginami-ku vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

Suginami-ku $1,994
Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $2,732 per month in Suginami-ku vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

Suginami-ku $2,732
Tokyo $3,521

Suginami-ku is about 24% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Suginami-ku sits 7% below the global median, while Tokyo is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 ¥1,002

$7.47 ¥1,180

-15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.62 ¥6,418

$37.48 ¥5,921

8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥810

$4.90 ¥774

4.49%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ¥548

$3.62 ¥571

-4.14%

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

$1.05 ¥166

$1.66 ¥262

-36.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥124

$0.84 ¥133

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ¥404

$3.69 ¥582

-30.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥503

$5.24 ¥829

-39.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.49 ¥236

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.75 ¥276

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 ¥576

$5.63 ¥889

-35.17%

Eggs

$1.97 ¥312

$2.20 ¥348

-10.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 ¥1,661

$11.19 ¥1,767

-5.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 ¥946

$6.84 ¥1,081

-12.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ¥2,241

$16.61 ¥2,624

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 ¥917

$4.80 ¥759

21.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ¥434

$2.24 ¥354

22.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 ¥442

$4.22 ¥666

-33.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥645

$5.20 ¥821

-21.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ¥418

$3.29 ¥520

-19.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥416

$3.05 ¥481

-13.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ¥194

$1.19 ¥188

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.81 ¥129

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥604

$3.92 ¥619

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 ¥1,024

$9.65 ¥1,524

-32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥283

$1.63 ¥258

9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥320

$2.70 ¥426

-24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.25 ¥197

11.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.37 ¥7,326

$63.9 ¥10.1K

-27.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 ¥508

$3.13 ¥494

2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 ¥435

$3.21 ¥507

-14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.79 ¥3,285

$18.55 ¥2,931

12.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.05 ¥166

5.71%

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

$21.0K ¥3.3M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-2.60%

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

$18.1K ¥2.9M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

19.10%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$149 ¥23.5K

-12.17%

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

$23.89 ¥3,774

$21.59 ¥3,412

10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.49 ¥4,974

$30.62 ¥4,837

2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ¥9,175

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 ¥4,042

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,030

$12.68 ¥2,004

1.34%

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

$631 ¥99.7K

$1,350 ¥213.3K

-53.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-17.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ¥9,697

$56.0 ¥8,853

9.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 ¥5,789

$33.14 ¥5,236

10.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 ¥9,528

$64.3 ¥10.2K

-6.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$70.2 ¥11.1K

45.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ¥75.3K

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-61.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥59.6K

$700 ¥110.6K

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 ¥154.7K

$2,502 ¥395.3K

-60.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ¥126.9K

$1,430 ¥225.9K

-43.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,685 ¥740.1K

$9,428 ¥1.5M

-50.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,700 ¥268.6K

$4,236 ¥669.3K

-59.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,799 ¥442.2K

$2,998 ¥473.7K

-6.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

-11.11%

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

Last update for Suginami-ku: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suginami-ku

$377 30%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 85.5% $323

Groceries & Markets

Suginami-ku

$289 23%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 12.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suginami-ku

$186 14.8%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 8% $15

Eating Out

Suginami-ku

$134 10.7%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 16.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Suginami-ku

$117 9.3%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Suginami-ku

$84 6.7%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 9.9% $8.3

Getting Around

Suginami-ku

$69 5.5%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 27.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Suginami-ku 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 7% 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 $41.00 in Suginami-ku versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Suginami-ku vs $325 in Tokyo – so Suginami-ku wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Suginami-ku

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

Same time as Suginami-ku

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

540,180

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

Suginami-ku vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 32% more than Suginami-ku, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Suginami-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $631 per month in Suginami-ku and $1,350 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suginami-ku, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Suginami-ku it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Suginami-ku costs $1,256 versus $1,663 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Suginami-ku. 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.