Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Cheltenham Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Cheltenham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Tokyo versus $2,148 in Cheltenham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,693 in Tokyo versus $3,224 in Cheltenham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,703 in Tokyo versus $4,300 in Cheltenham.

Living in Tokyo costs roughly 22% less than in Cheltenham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 26% above, Cheltenham 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 ¥1,294

$20.14 £15.00

-59.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.31 ¥7,727

$80.4 £59.9

-39.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ¥910

$11.04 £8.22

-48.46%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥571

$4.55 £3.39

-21.54%

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

$1.26 ¥202

$2.04 £1.52

-38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥148

$1.38 £1.03

-32.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 ¥681

$5.57 £4.15

-23.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 ¥848

$6.84 £5.10

-22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥252

$1.46 £1.09

8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥254

$0.71 £0.53

123.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 ¥851

$1.98 £1.47

168.69%

Eggs

$2.41 ¥385

$4.45 £3.32

-45.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,565

$4.75 £3.53

237.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ¥1,255

$7.41 £5.52

5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.16 ¥3,704

$15.55 £11.58

48.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 ¥836

$2.07 £1.54

152.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ¥412

$1.72 £1.28

49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 ¥917

$2.07 £1.54

176.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$3.45 £2.57

73.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ¥514

$1.34 £1.00

139.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ¥562

$1.85 £1.37

89.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ¥236

$1.07 £0.80

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥143

$1.57 £1.17

-42.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥684

$17.02 £12.68

-74.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,501

$11.02 £8.21

-14.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥343

$1.95 £1.45

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ¥461

$1.94 £1.44

48.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥237

$3.50 £2.60

-57.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 ¥13.6K

$57.3 £42.65

48.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$3.99 £2.97

-12.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥458

$1.39 £1.04

106.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 ¥4,281

$25.82 £19.23

3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥195

$1.97 £1.47

-38.07%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$38.2K £28.5K

-38.64%

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

$17.4K ¥2.8M

$42.0K £31.2K

-58.45%

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

$164 ¥26.2K

$257 £191

-36.26%

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

$26.63 ¥4,259

$15.72 £11.71

69.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.94 ¥5,428

$42.39 £31.57

-19.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ¥11.0K

$43.97 £32.75

56.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ¥3,217

$24.08 £17.93

-16.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 ¥2,088

$13.34 £9.94

-2.10%

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

$506 ¥81.0K

$1,374 £1,023

-63.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$13.6K £10.2K

14.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ¥9,611

$112 £83.4

-46.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 ¥6,448

$35.79 £26.65

12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.3K

$112 £83.3

-42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥14.6K

$97.2 £72.4

-6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ¥175.0K

$1,209 £900

-9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥95.4K

$937 £698

-36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 ¥417.4K

$2,271 £1,691

14.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 ¥214.2K

$1,637 £1,219

-18.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ¥1.7M

$5,704 £4,248

89.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,974 ¥795.6K

$5,779 £4,304

-13.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 ¥400.1K

$3,932 £2,929

-36.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

5.79

-70.29%

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

Last update for Tokyo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Cheltenham: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Tokyo and $1,209 in Cheltenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 57% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Tokyo vs $80.0 in Cheltenham. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $258, with Cheltenham cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cheltenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cheltenham earns 57% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,094 in Tokyo versus $1,209 in Cheltenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tokyo – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $80.0 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,684 per month in Tokyo versus $2,148 in Cheltenham – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,684 in Tokyo versus $2,148 in Cheltenham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tokyo but tight or insufficient in Cheltenham. The gap between the two cities makes Tokyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tokyo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cheltenham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Cheltenham 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 Tokyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.