Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Aomori

For one person, living is cheaper in Aomori: $1,190 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Aomori
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Aomori Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Aomori

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Aomori

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo versus $1,190 in Aomori.

Tokyo $1,688
Aomori $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Tokyo versus $1,878 in Aomori.

Tokyo $2,588
Aomori $1,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Tokyo versus $2,567 in Aomori.

Tokyo $3,489
Aomori $2,567

Living in Tokyo is roughly 42% more expensive than in Aomori, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 24% above, Aomori is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$6.56 ¥1,036

17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$30.73 ¥4,851

22.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$5.83 ¥920

-14.07%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$2.87 ¥453

28.22%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.05 ¥165

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.75 ¥118

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$2.27 ¥358

66.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$3.42 ¥540

68.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.62 ¥256

-8.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.47 ¥232

17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$4.05 ¥640

43.21%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.15 ¥340

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$10.44 ¥1,649

10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$6.94 ¥1,096

0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$15.95 ¥2,519

2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$3.42 ¥540

38.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.57 ¥405

-11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$2.90 ¥457

46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$3.91 ¥618

37.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.45 ¥388

34.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.18 ¥344

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.16 ¥184

-0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.74 ¥117

8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$4.18 ¥659

-6.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.24 ¥985

55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.89 ¥298

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$2.24 ¥353

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.58 ¥250

-20.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$58.1 ¥9,168

7.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.22 ¥508

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$2.74 ¥433

14.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$18.54 ¥2,927

2.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.02 ¥161

8.82%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$19.5K ¥3.1M

15.13%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$13.5K ¥2.1M

13.70%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$127 ¥20.0K

15.86%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$25.86 ¥4,082

-10.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$35.60 ¥5,620

-15.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$50.5 ¥7,971

13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$14.59 ¥2,303

-8.22%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$650 ¥102.7K

116.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$11.2K ¥1.8M

65.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$47.28 ¥7,466

17.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$27.56 ¥4,351

17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$68.6 ¥10.8K

-6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$101 ¥15.9K

-28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$491 ¥77.5K

170.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$316 ¥49.8K

130.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$1,104 ¥174.4K

137.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$703 ¥111.0K

99.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,791 ¥756.5K

123.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,450 ¥386.8K

106.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.21

1.81%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aomori: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Aomori

$316 26.5% 56.7% $413

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Aomori

$285 24% 13% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Aomori

$188 15.8% 6% $12

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Aomori

$130 10.9% 19.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Aomori

$110 9.2% 8.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Aomori

$81 6.8% 5.7% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Aomori

$80 6.7% 5.4% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Tokyo and $491 in Aomori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tokyo vs $31 in Aomori for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $285 per month, with Aomori cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Aomori

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

275,192

💱 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

Tokyo vs Aomori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo and Aomori differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,688 vs $1,190 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,533 in Tokyo and $1,784 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: $1,329 in Tokyo versus $491 in Aomori. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,410 in Tokyo versus $650 in Aomori. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Aomori gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 30% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.