Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Himeji

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,301 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
Learn more

Tokyo Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
Learn more

Himeji Living Index

Jump to prices

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,301

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Himeji

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,301 in Himeji, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Himeji $1,301

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $2,030 in Himeji, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Himeji $2,030

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,759 in Himeji, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Himeji $2,759

Tokyo costs about 30% more than Himeji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,218

$8.54 ¥1,347

-9.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,915

$32.04 ¥5,052

17.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥789

$5.11 ¥806

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$2.51 ¥396

46.61%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.31 ¥207

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.93 ¥147

-8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥595

$3.08 ¥486

22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥907

$3.10 ¥488

85.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.54 ¥243

-3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.54 ¥243

12.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥914

$4.15 ¥654

39.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.13 ¥335

5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,813

$16.00 ¥2,523

-28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,098

$6.97 ¥1,098

-0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,585

$17.24 ¥2,718

-4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥746

$8.59 ¥1,355

-44.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.99 ¥471

-23.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥672

$4.98 ¥786

-14.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥846

$7.88 ¥1,242

-31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$3.95 ¥622

-16.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$4.57 ¥720

-34.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.93 ¥147

-13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$3.95 ¥623

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$9.56 ¥1,508

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$2.64 ¥417

-35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$2.16 ¥340

23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.61 ¥253

-22.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,845

$57.5 ¥9,062

8.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥496

$3.22 ¥508

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.90 ¥458

8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,992

$15.79 ¥2,490

20.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.12 ¥176

-0.89%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$21.4K ¥3.4M

5.19%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

1.43%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$116 ¥18.3K

26.59%

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

$23.17 ¥3,654

$23.12 ¥3,645

0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,746

$31.09 ¥4,903

-3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,057

$45.40 ¥7,159

26.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,175

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,111

$12.50 ¥1,971

7.12%

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

$1,410 ¥222.4K

$701 ¥110.5K

101.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

27.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,724

$50.4 ¥7,940

9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,114

$35.32 ¥5,570

-8.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$60.7 ¥9,564

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$99.5 ¥15.7K

-27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.6K

$595 ¥93.8K

123.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.9K

$340 ¥53.6K

114.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.5K

$994 ¥156.7K

163.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.9K

$657 ¥103.5K

113.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$3,978 ¥627.3K

169.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.9K

$2,227 ¥351.2K

126.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.02

11.39%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Himeji: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Himeji

$340 26.1% 53.4% $389

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Himeji

$384 29.5% 17.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Himeji

$170 13.1% 14.9% $30

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Himeji

$144 11.1% 10.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Himeji

$111 8.5% 9.6% $9.7

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Himeji

$82 6.3% 5.4% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Himeji

$70 5.4% 16.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $595 in Himeji. 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 $32 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Tokyo vs $384 in Himeji – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Himeji

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

535,571

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tokyo Himeji 470 km

From you

Tokyo
Himeji

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,952 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Himeji, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $595 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Tokyo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $32 in Himeji. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,301, than in Tokyo at $1,688. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – 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.