Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kashiwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kashiwa: $1,241 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kashiwa
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Kashiwa Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Kashiwa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kashiwa

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,241 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Kashiwa $1,241

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,861 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Kashiwa $1,861

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,481 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Kashiwa $2,481

Tokyo costs about 36% more than Kashiwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Kashiwa is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,217

$6.27 ¥988

23.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,909

$25.74 ¥4,054

45.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥788

$5.23 ¥824

-4.21%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥579

$3.46 ¥545

6.36%

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

$1.51 ¥238

$0.70 ¥110

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.79 ¥125

7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥594

$2.56 ¥403

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥906

$3.11 ¥490

84.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.29 ¥203

15.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.10 ¥173

57.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥913

$3.61 ¥569

60.66%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$1.96 ¥308

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,811

$6.46 ¥1,018

78.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,096

$6.05 ¥954

15.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,582

$9.59 ¥1,511

70.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥745

$5.55 ¥875

-14.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.73 ¥431

-16.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥671

$2.97 ¥468

43.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥845

$4.24 ¥668

26.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.67 ¥420

23.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.55 ¥402

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$0.60 ¥95.2

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.66 ¥104

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.92 ¥618

-0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,531

$6.43 ¥1,013

51.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥268

$1.82 ¥286

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$1.86 ¥293

43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.51 ¥237

-17.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,835

$57.3 ¥9,030

8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥495

$3.11 ¥491

1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$1.55 ¥245

102.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,989

$20.28 ¥3,194

-6.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.02 ¥160

8.82%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

4.46%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

-3.12%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$124 ¥19.6K

18.03%

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

$23.17 ¥3,650

$24.64 ¥3,881

-5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,741

$32.79 ¥5,164

-8.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,048

$56.3 ¥8,869

2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,171

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,109

$12.78 ¥2,013

4.77%

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

$1,410 ¥222.1K

$815 ¥128.3K

73.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

27.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,715

$62.0 ¥9,763

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,108

$36.55 ¥5,757

-11.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.1K

$62.0 ¥9,768

3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$101 ¥15.9K

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.4K

$526 ¥82.8K

152.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.8K

$402 ¥63.4K

81.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.1K

$1,000 ¥157.6K

162.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.7K

$716 ¥112.7K

95.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,322 ¥680.8K

147.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.1K

$2,597 ¥409.1K

94.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥475.5K

$2,664 ¥419.7K

13.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.64

-14.77%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Kashiwa

$402 32.4% 44.8% $326

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Kashiwa

$251 20.2% 23.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Kashiwa

$182 14.7% 9.1% $18

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Kashiwa

$132 10.7% 17.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Kashiwa

$118 9.5% 16.6% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Kashiwa

$74 6% 13.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Kashiwa

$82 6.6% 2.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $526 in Kashiwa. 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 13% 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 $38 in Tokyo versus $26 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $251 – making Kashiwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kashiwa

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

417,394

💱 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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,241 in Kashiwa – Kashiwa comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,862 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kashiwa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $526 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Kindergarten costs $1,410 per month in Tokyo and $815 in Kashiwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,241 in Kashiwa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tokyo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,241 in Kashiwa to $1,688 in Tokyo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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