Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,307 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Fukuoka

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,307 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Fukuoka $1,307

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $2,031 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Fukuoka $2,031

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,754 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Fukuoka $2,754

Tokyo costs about 29% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$7.33 ¥1,158

5.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$43.83 ¥6,920

-14.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$5.97 ¥942

-16.08%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.72 ¥587

-1.08%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.06 ¥167

42.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.75 ¥118

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$3.85 ¥608

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$2.16 ¥340

166.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.55 ¥245

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.83 ¥288

-5.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$6.43 ¥1,015

-9.80%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.30 ¥364

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$18.19 ¥2,872

-36.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$5.34 ¥843

30.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$18.96 ¥2,994

-13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$3.62 ¥572

30.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$1.85 ¥293

23.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$2.83 ¥446

50.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$3.33 ¥526

61.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.15 ¥339

53.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.59 ¥409

15.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.03 ¥162

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.98 ¥154

-18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.98 ¥628

-2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.41 ¥1,012

51.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.71 ¥270

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$1.92 ¥303

38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.29 ¥204

-3.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$52.9 ¥8,352

18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$4.11 ¥649

-23.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$2.39 ¥377

31.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$17.92 ¥2,830

5.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

1.48%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

2.04%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$215 ¥33.9K

-31.68%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$25.33 ¥4,000

-8.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$34.10 ¥5,384

-11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$48.11 ¥7,597

19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$12.61 ¥1,990

6.19%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$702 ¥110.9K

100.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

50.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$48.84 ¥7,712

13.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$26.49 ¥4,182

22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$65.8 ¥10.4K

-2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$47.48 ¥7,497

51.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$523 ¥82.6K

154.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$332 ¥52.4K

119.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$1,173 ¥185.2K

123.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$709 ¥112.0K

97.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,674 ¥737.9K

129.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,568 ¥405.5K

96.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

$1,647 ¥260.1K

83.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.97

14.21%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Fukuoka

$332 25.4% 54.5% $397

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Fukuoka

$317 24.2% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Fukuoka

$274 21% 37.1% $74

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Fukuoka

$152 11.6% 5.5% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Fukuoka

$85 6.5% 15.9% $16

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Fukuoka

$74 5.7% 14.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Fukuoka

$73 5.6% 12.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $523 in Fukuoka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 83% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $44 in Fukuoka. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Tokyo vs $317 in Fukuoka – so Fukuoka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,612,392

💱 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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,307 in Fukuoka – Fukuoka comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,961 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $523 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Kindergarten costs $1,410 per month in Tokyo and $702 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,307 in Fukuoka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,307 in Fukuoka to $1,688 in Tokyo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Fukuoka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.