Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Asahikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Asahikawa: $1,189 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 Asahikawa
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Asahikawa Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,189

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Asahikawa

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 Asahikawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,189 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Asahikawa $1,189

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,948 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Asahikawa $1,948

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,706 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Asahikawa $2,706

Tokyo costs about 42% more than Asahikawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Asahikawa is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,218

$6.31 ¥996

22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,915

$32.58 ¥5,138

15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥789

$4.55 ¥717

10.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.10 ¥489

18.71%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.26 ¥199

19.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.71 ¥112

19.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥595

$2.87 ¥452

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥907

$3.00 ¥473

91.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.52 ¥240

-1.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.52 ¥239

13.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥914

$3.95 ¥623

46.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.26 ¥357

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,813

$10.74 ¥1,693

7.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,098

$6.72 ¥1,060

3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,585

$16.29 ¥2,569

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥746

$3.20 ¥504

47.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.62 ¥414

-12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥672

$2.46 ¥388

73.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥846

$4.62 ¥728

16.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.73 ¥430

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.31 ¥365

29.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.37 ¥216

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.87 ¥137

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$3.94 ¥621

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$7.66 ¥1,208

26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.76 ¥277

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$1.87 ¥296

42.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.64 ¥259

-23.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,845

$53.1 ¥8,379

17.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥496

$3.07 ¥484

2.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.68 ¥422

17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,992

$21.03 ¥3,316

-9.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.17 ¥184

-5.13%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$22.6K ¥3.6M

-0.40%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$13.6K ¥2.2M

12.36%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$154 ¥24.3K

-4.65%

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

$23.17 ¥3,654

$25.29 ¥3,987

-8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,746

$34.28 ¥5,406

-12.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,057

$55.3 ¥8,719

3.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,175

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,111

$12.20 ¥1,923

9.75%

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

$1,410 ¥222.4K

$630 ¥99.3K

123.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$11.3K ¥1.8M

64.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,724

$51.4 ¥8,102

7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,114

$27.99 ¥4,413

15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$59.6 ¥9,403

8.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$102 ¥16.1K

-29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.6K

$611 ¥96.4K

117.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.9K

$291 ¥45.8K

150.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.5K

$987 ¥155.7K

165.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.9K

$809 ¥127.6K

73.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,455 ¥702.5K

140.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.9K

$2,602 ¥410.3K

94.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.0K

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 Asahikawa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Asahikawa

$291 24.4% 60.1% $438

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Asahikawa

$291 24.5% 11.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Asahikawa

$214 18% 6.7% $13

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Asahikawa

$130 10.9% 19.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Asahikawa

$109 9.1% 7.5% $7.6

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Asahikawa

$76 6.4% 11.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Asahikawa

$80 6.7% 5.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $611 in Asahikawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $33 in Asahikawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $291 – making Asahikawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Asahikawa

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

329,306

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Tokyo Asahikawa 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,189 in Asahikawa – Asahikawa comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,784 in Asahikawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Asahikawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,410 per month in Tokyo and $630 in Asahikawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,189 in Asahikawa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Asahikawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Asahikawa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.