Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kagoshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,135 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,135

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kagoshima

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,135 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Kagoshima $1,135

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,887 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Kagoshima $1,887

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,639 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Kagoshima $2,639

Tokyo costs about 49% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Kagoshima is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,217

$6.39 ¥1,006

20.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,909

$33.97 ¥5,350

10.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥788

$5.34 ¥842

-6.18%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥579

$2.97 ¥468

23.91%

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

$1.51 ¥238

$1.04 ¥164

45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.75 ¥118

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥594

$2.50 ¥394

50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥906

$2.21 ¥348

160.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.31 ¥207

13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.15 ¥182

50.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥913

$5.15 ¥811

12.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.05 ¥324

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,811

$17.94 ¥2,826

-35.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,096

$5.29 ¥833

31.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,582

$18.77 ¥2,957

-12.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥745

$3.71 ¥585

27.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$1.86 ¥293

22.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥671

$2.83 ¥446

50.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥845

$3.43 ¥541

56.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.09 ¥329

57.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$1.88 ¥296

59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.03 ¥163

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.85 ¥607

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,531

$6.20 ¥977

56.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥268

$1.21 ¥191

40.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$1.84 ¥290

44.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.25 ¥196

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,835

$56.7 ¥8,927

10.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥495

$4.12 ¥649

-23.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.34 ¥369

34.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,989

$11.30 ¥1,780

67.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$22.6K ¥3.6M

-0.36%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.54%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$188 ¥29.6K

-21.74%

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

$23.17 ¥3,650

$24.69 ¥3,890

-6.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,741

$31.51 ¥4,963

-4.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,048

$52.1 ¥8,207

10.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,171

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,109

$11.96 ¥1,884

11.96%

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

$1,410 ¥222.1K

$703 ¥110.8K

100.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$12.4K ¥1.9M

50.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,715

$48.66 ¥7,665

13.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,108

$26.33 ¥4,147

23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.1K

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$76.3 ¥12.0K

-5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.4K

$550 ¥86.6K

141.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.8K

$219 ¥34.5K

233.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.1K

$957 ¥150.8K

173.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.7K

$730 ¥115.0K

91.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,461 ¥702.6K

139.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.1K

$2,528 ¥398.3K

99.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥475.5K

$1,861 ¥293.1K

62.22%

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 Kagoshima: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Kagoshima

$219 19.3% 70% $510

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Kagoshima

$294 25.9% 10.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Kagoshima

$244 21.5% 21.9% $44

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Kagoshima

$127 11.2% 21.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Kagoshima

$98 8.6% 3.4% $3.4

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Kagoshima

$77 6.8% 10.2% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Kagoshima

$76 6.7% 9.7% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $550 in Kagoshima. 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 62% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $34 in Kagoshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $294 – making Kagoshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

593,128

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 49% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,702 in Kagoshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kagoshima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $550 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,410 per month in Tokyo and $703 in Kagoshima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,135 in Kagoshima. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kagoshima – 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.

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