Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kanazawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,277 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kanazawa

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

A single person spends $1,648 per month in Tokyo vs $1,277 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Tokyo $1,648
Kanazawa $1,277

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $2,031 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Kanazawa $2,031

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Tokyo vs $2,786 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Tokyo $3,561
Kanazawa $2,786

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

Tokyo sits 22% above the global median, while Kanazawa is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$7.64 ¥1,206

1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.61 ¥4,994

22.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$4.73 ¥747

5.50%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$2.26 ¥358

58.41%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$1.14 ¥180

37.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.58 ¥91.2

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.03 ¥320

84.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$2.33 ¥368

124.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.55 ¥245

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.32 ¥208

32.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$5.30 ¥837

4.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.07 ¥327

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$12.52 ¥1,978

-9.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$9.41 ¥1,487

-28.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$31.96 ¥5,049

-47.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$3.62 ¥572

28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.28 ¥360

-0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$6.48 ¥1,024

-33.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$4.14 ¥655

26.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$3.73 ¥589

-10.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$3.42 ¥540

-12.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.28 ¥201

-9.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$1.03 ¥163

-19.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.55 ¥561

9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$8.40 ¥1,327

13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.96 ¥310

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$1.52 ¥239

72.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.49 ¥236

-18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$54.4 ¥8,598

14.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.11 ¥491

2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$3.22 ¥508

-4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$26.21 ¥4,140

-28.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

8.34%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$16.4K ¥2.6M

-8.26%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$148 ¥23.3K

0.29%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$24.34 ¥3,845

-6.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$43.30 ¥6,840

-31.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$42.68 ¥6,743

53.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.47 ¥1,812

15.26%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$320 ¥50.6K

310.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$6,140 ¥970.0K

191.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$49.59 ¥7,834

9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$25.27 ¥3,993

29.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$45.94 ¥7,258

42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$64.9 ¥10.3K

8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$539 ¥85.1K

138.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$327 ¥51.6K

109.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,100 ¥173.7K

127.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$749 ¥118.3K

94.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,294 ¥678.4K

114.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,742 ¥275.3K

142.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,857 ¥293.4K

61.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.28

-1.32%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Kanazawa

$327 25.6% 52.3% $358

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Kanazawa

$382 29.9% 17.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Kanazawa

$215 16.9% 7.3% $15

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Kanazawa

$124 9.7% 22.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Kanazawa

$84 6.5% 16.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Kanazawa

$66 5.1% 28.7% $26

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Kanazawa

$80 6.2% 7.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Tokyo versus $539 in Kanazawa. 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 61% 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 Kanazawa. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Tokyo vs $382 in Kanazawa – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

465,699

💱 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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,648 in Tokyo, $1,277 in Kanazawa – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Tokyo and $1,916 in Kanazawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, 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 $1,277 in Kanazawa. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Kanazawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tokyo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,277 in Kanazawa to $1,648 in Tokyo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kanazawa. 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.