Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Aomori Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Aomori

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Tokyo versus $1,231 in Aomori.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,693 in Tokyo versus $1,931 in Aomori.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,703 in Tokyo versus $2,630 in Aomori.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 37% more expensive than Aomori, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 26% above, Aomori is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 ¥1,297

$7.05 ¥1,130

14.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.31 ¥7,743

$35.28 ¥5,655

36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ¥912

$5.40 ¥865

5.37%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥572

$3.11 ¥498

14.79%

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

$1.26 ¥202

$1.10 ¥176

14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥148

$0.75 ¥120

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 ¥682

$2.64 ¥423

60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 ¥850

$3.15 ¥505

68.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥253

$1.59 ¥255

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥254

$1.54 ¥247

3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 ¥853

$4.72 ¥756

12.71%

Eggs

$2.41 ¥386

$2.21 ¥354

9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,571

$10.11 ¥1,620

58.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ¥1,258

$6.28 ¥1,007

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.16 ¥3,712

$15.42 ¥2,472

50.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 ¥838

$5.41 ¥867

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ¥412

$2.61 ¥419

-1.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 ¥919

$4.07 ¥653

40.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥957

$6.02 ¥964

-0.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ¥515

$3.15 ¥505

1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ¥563

$2.64 ¥423

32.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ¥237

$1.39 ¥223

6.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥144

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥685

$4.26 ¥683

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,505

$8.27 ¥1,326

13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥344

$1.90 ¥305

13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ¥462

$2.23 ¥357

29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥237

$1.66 ¥266

-10.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 ¥13.6K

$56.4 ¥9,045

50.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥560

$3.49 ¥559

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥459

$2.97 ¥477

-3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 ¥4,291

$20.58 ¥3,298

30.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥195

$1.12 ¥179

8.93%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-0.38%

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

$17.4K ¥2.8M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

1.82%

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

$164 ¥26.2K

$142 ¥22.7K

15.51%

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

$26.63 ¥4,268

$27.60 ¥4,424

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.94 ¥5,440

$33.71 ¥5,404

0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ¥11.1K

$56.2 ¥9,013

22.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ¥3,224

$13.86 ¥2,221

45.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 ¥2,093

$12.63 ¥2,025

3.40%

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

$506 ¥81.1K

$278 ¥44.5K

82.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

18.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ¥9,632

$42.77 ¥6,856

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 ¥6,462

$29.97 ¥4,804

34.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.4K

$58.9 ¥9,442

9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥14.6K

$92.5 ¥14.8K

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ¥175.3K

$461 ¥74.0K

137.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥95.6K

$334 ¥53.6K

78.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 ¥418.3K

$868 ¥139.1K

200.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 ¥214.6K

$667 ¥106.9K

100.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ¥1.7M

$4,076 ¥653.4K

165.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,974 ¥797.3K

$2,639 ¥423.0K

88.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 ¥400.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

1.78

-3.37%

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

Last update for Tokyo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Aomori: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Tokyo and $461 in Aomori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Tokyo vs $35.00 in Aomori for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $318 per month, with Aomori cheaper across the board.

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

Tokyo vs Aomori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo and Aomori differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,684 vs $1,231 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,526 in Tokyo and $1,847 in Aomori to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,094 in Tokyo versus $461 in Aomori. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Tokyo versus $278 in Aomori. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,231 in Aomori versus $1,684 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aomori but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Aomori the clear choice for anyone on this 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, Tokyo and Aomori are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aomori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.