Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,165 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
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Fukushima Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Fukushima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,648 in Tokyo versus $1,165 in Fukushima.

Tokyo $1,648
Fukushima $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Tokyo versus $1,826 in Fukushima.

Tokyo $2,604
Fukushima $1,826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Tokyo versus $2,487 in Fukushima.

Tokyo $3,561
Fukushima $2,487

Living in Tokyo is roughly 41% more expensive than in Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 22% above, Fukushima is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$5.89 ¥930

32.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$29.92 ¥4,727

28.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$4.45 ¥703

12.13%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$2.55 ¥404

40.39%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$0.94 ¥148

67.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.67 ¥106

34.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.61 ¥412

43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.12 ¥493

67.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.47 ¥232

5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.55 ¥244

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$4.08 ¥645

36.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.08 ¥328

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$10.38 ¥1,639

8.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.69 ¥1,057

1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$16.64 ¥2,629

1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$3.77 ¥596

23.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.26 ¥357

0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$2.80 ¥443

54.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$4.07 ¥642

28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.48 ¥391

34.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.57 ¥406

16.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.29 ¥205

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.84 ¥132

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.89 ¥615

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$6.82 ¥1,077

39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.84 ¥291

-11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.13 ¥337

23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.49 ¥235

-18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$48.19 ¥7,613

29.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.18 ¥502

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.69 ¥425

14.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$21.15 ¥3,342

-11.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.02 ¥161

8.82%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$20.2K ¥3.2M

9.21%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.6K ¥2.5M

-3.38%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$126 ¥19.9K

17.41%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$21.15 ¥3,342

7.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$30.04 ¥4,746

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$51.6 ¥8,154

26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.70 ¥1,849

12.99%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$453 ¥71.6K

189.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$11.4K ¥1.8M

57.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$46.93 ¥7,414

15.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$36.00 ¥5,688

-9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$64.6 ¥10.2K

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$84.5 ¥13.3K

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$535 ¥84.5K

140.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$333 ¥52.5K

105.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,018 ¥160.9K

146.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$705 ¥111.4K

107.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$3,897 ¥615.6K

136.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,857 ¥293.4K

127.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

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 18, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Fukushima

$333 28.5% 51.4% $352

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Fukushima

$288 24.7% 11.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Fukushima

$177 15.2% 11.6% $23

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Fukushima

$117 10% 26.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Fukushima

$104 9% 4% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Fukushima

$75 6.4% 18.4% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Fukushima

$71 6.1% 17.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Tokyo and $535 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tokyo vs $30.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $288 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

282,693

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,473 in Tokyo and $1,748 in Fukushima 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: $1,288 in Tokyo versus $535 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $39.00 in Tokyo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,165 in Fukushima versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.