Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawasaki: $1,476 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kawasaki

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,476 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Kawasaki $1,476

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $2,239 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Kawasaki $2,239

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $3,003 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Kawasaki $3,003

Tokyo costs about 14% more than Kawasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tokyo and Kawasaki sit above the global median – Tokyo by 24%, Kawasaki by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,217

$7.43 ¥1,171

3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,909

$37.97 ¥5,981

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥788

$4.99 ¥785

0.40%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥579

$2.59 ¥407

42.08%

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

$1.51 ¥238

$1.57 ¥248

-3.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.91 ¥144

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥594

$3.23 ¥508

16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥906

$3.13 ¥493

83.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.51 ¥238

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.56 ¥246

10.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥913

$4.21 ¥663

37.77%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.15 ¥339

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,811

$11.44 ¥1,802

0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,096

$6.72 ¥1,058

3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,582

$16.41 ¥2,585

-0.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥745

$6.02 ¥949

-21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.85 ¥449

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥671

$4.99 ¥785

-14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥845

$5.18 ¥816

3.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$3.40 ¥535

-3.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$3.09 ¥486

-2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.19 ¥188

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.78 ¥122

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.97 ¥625

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,531

$9.29 ¥1,463

4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥268

$2.39 ¥377

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$2.65 ¥417

0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.92 ¥303

-34.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,835

$50.5 ¥7,948

23.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥495

$3.10 ¥488

1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$3.20 ¥504

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,989

$18.58 ¥2,926

2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.07 ¥168

3.74%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$22.1K ¥3.5M

1.73%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-0.11%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$129 ¥20.2K

14.30%

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

$23.17 ¥3,650

$23.08 ¥3,635

0.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,741

$31.16 ¥4,908

-3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,048

$55.8 ¥8,790

2.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,171

$6.47 ¥1,019

309.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,109

$12.62 ¥1,989

6.10%

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

$1,410 ¥222.1K

$695 ¥109.5K

102.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,715

$51.2 ¥8,065

8.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,108

$33.12 ¥5,217

-2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.1K

$66.4 ¥10.5K

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$70.4 ¥11.1K

2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.4K

$771 ¥121.5K

72.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.8K

$565 ¥89.0K

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.1K

$1,281 ¥201.7K

104.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.7K

$1,006 ¥158.5K

39.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,670 ¥735.7K

129.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.1K

$3,220 ¥507.3K

56.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥475.5K

$2,608 ¥410.7K

15.76%

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 Kawasaki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Kawasaki

$565 38.3% 22.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Kawasaki

$333 22.5% 1.6% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Kawasaki

$183 12.4% 8.7% $17

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Kawasaki

$138 9.3% 14.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Kawasaki

$99 6.7% 1.4% $1.4

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 10.4% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Kawasaki

$81 5.5% 3.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $771 in Kawasaki. 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 16% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $38 in Kawasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $333 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,538,262

💱 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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 14% more than Kawasaki, 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 $2,214 in Kawasaki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kawasaki, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $771 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,476 in Kawasaki. That makes Kawasaki about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Kawasaki. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,476 in Kawasaki. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kawasaki costs $1,476 versus $1,688 in Tokyo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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