Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $961 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Hiroshima

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

A single person spends $1,648 per month in Tokyo vs $961 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Tokyo $1,648
Hiroshima $961

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $1,557 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Hiroshima $1,557

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Tokyo vs $2,152 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Tokyo $3,561
Hiroshima $2,152

Tokyo costs about 71% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 22% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$6.13 ¥969

27.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.92 ¥5,043

20.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.07 ¥801

-1.58%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$2.72 ¥429

31.62%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$0.96 ¥152

63.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.69 ¥109

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.74 ¥433

36.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.68 ¥582

41.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.49 ¥236

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.52 ¥240

15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$4.74 ¥748

17.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.07 ¥327

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$5.11 ¥808

121.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.18 ¥976

9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$10.90 ¥1,722

54.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$3.31 ¥522

40.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$1.98 ¥313

14.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$3.77 ¥595

14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$3.72 ¥588

40.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$1.51 ¥238

120.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$3.45 ¥545

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.35 ¥214

-14.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$4.00 ¥631

-3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$7.70 ¥1,217

23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.92 ¥303

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.48 ¥392

5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.84 ¥290

-33.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$32.79 ¥5,181

90.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.68 ¥581

-13.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$1.22 ¥192

153.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$21.43 ¥3,386

-12.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

0.89%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

2.11%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$139 ¥21.9K

6.65%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$24.17 ¥3,818

-5.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$30.93 ¥4,887

-3.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$52.6 ¥8,315

24.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

$4.65 ¥734

463.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$12.72 ¥2,009

3.93%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$155 ¥24.5K

746.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$3,400 ¥537.2K

426.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$28.67 ¥4,529

89.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$24.54 ¥3,877

33.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$47.85 ¥7,560

36.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$64.0 ¥10.1K

10.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$241 ¥38.1K

433.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$186 ¥29.3K

268.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$618 ¥97.7K

305.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$508 ¥80.2K

187.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$3,058 ¥483.1K

201.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,406 ¥222.2K

200.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,973 ¥311.8K

51.72%

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 Hiroshima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Hiroshima

$186 19.3% 72.9% $499

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Hiroshima

$255 26.5% 21.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Hiroshima

$194 20.2% 3.4% $6.7

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Hiroshima

$125 13% 21.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 26% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Hiroshima

$78 8.1% 15.1% $14

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Hiroshima

$50 5.2% 41.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Tokyo versus $241 in Hiroshima. 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 52% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tokyo versus $32.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $255 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,200,754

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 71% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Tokyo and $1,442 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hiroshima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,648 in Tokyo and $961 in Hiroshima. That's a gap of about 71%.

Public transport costs about 90% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hiroshima costs $961 versus $1,648 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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