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: $1,692 in Tokyo versus $1,180 in Aomori.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,641 in Tokyo versus $1,893 in Aomori.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Tokyo versus $2,606 in Aomori.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 43% more expensive than in Aomori, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 23% above, Aomori is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.83 ¥1,202

$6.14 ¥943

27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 ¥5,995

$30.93 ¥4,749

26.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 ¥809

$4.88 ¥750

7.99%

Cappuccino

$3.71 ¥569

$3.03 ¥465

22.44%

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

$1.74 ¥268

$1.04 ¥160

67.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥138

$0.73 ¥112

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 ¥609

$2.47 ¥379

60.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 ¥810

$3.19 ¥490

65.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥248

$1.49 ¥229

8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥274

$1.52 ¥234

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 ¥885

$4.24 ¥652

35.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥345

$2.02 ¥310

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 ¥1,696

$11.28 ¥1,732

-2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 ¥1,189

$6.21 ¥954

24.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 ¥3,117

$16.71 ¥2,566

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥819

$4.99 ¥766

6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 ¥382

$2.28 ¥350

9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 ¥724

$3.05 ¥468

54.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ¥888

$4.14 ¥636

39.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 ¥554

$2.55 ¥391

41.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ¥521

$2.23 ¥343

52.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥195

$1.22 ¥187

4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥123

$0.82 ¥126

-2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ¥633

$3.92 ¥601

5.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 ¥1,513

$7.63 ¥1,171

29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥278

$1.86 ¥285

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ¥486

$2.09 ¥321

51.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥198

$1.43 ¥219

-9.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 ¥11.1K

$55.5 ¥8,523

29.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥487

$3.16 ¥485

0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 ¥488

$2.80 ¥430

13.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.21 ¥2,950

$18.14 ¥2,786

5.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥174

$1.05 ¥161

7.62%

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

$22.2K ¥3.4M

$21.1K ¥3.2M

4.87%

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

$15.6K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.3M

4.16%

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

$162 ¥24.8K

$130 ¥20.0K

24.43%

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

$22.42 ¥3,443

$23.69 ¥3,637

-5.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.34 ¥4,659

$30.27 ¥4,648

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ¥9,958

$51.3 ¥7,883

26.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.93 ¥4,135

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 ¥2,003

$11.76 ¥1,805

10.88%

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

$1,347 ¥206.9K

$550 ¥84.5K

144.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$13.2K ¥2.0M

41.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 ¥8,137

$48.50 ¥7,447

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 ¥5,100

$32.58 ¥5,002

1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 ¥9,782

$60.8 ¥9,332

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 ¥11.2K

$90.8 ¥13.9K

-19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 ¥198.1K

$471 ¥72.3K

174.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 ¥105.5K

$330 ¥50.7K

108.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 ¥391.5K

$1,075 ¥165.0K

137.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 ¥210.9K

$728 ¥111.8K

88.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 ¥1.4M

$4,298 ¥660.0K

109.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,353 ¥668.4K

$1,873 ¥287.6K

132.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,959 ¥454.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.94

2.06

-5.83%

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

Last update for Tokyo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Aomori: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,290 in Tokyo and $471 in Aomori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tokyo vs $31.00 in Aomori for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $297 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,180 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,538 in Tokyo and $1,770 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: $1,290 in Tokyo versus $471 in Aomori. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,347 in Tokyo versus $550 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 $1,180 in Aomori versus $1,692 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 43% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.