Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kitakyushu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,250 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kitakyushu

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,250 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Kitakyushu $1,250

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,923 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Kitakyushu $1,923

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,596 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Kitakyushu $2,596

Tokyo costs about 35% more than Kitakyushu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Kitakyushu is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,218

$7.03 ¥1,108

9.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,915

$32.97 ¥5,198

13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥789

$5.43 ¥855

-7.73%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.40 ¥536

8.24%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.06 ¥167

42.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.70 ¥111

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥595

$3.04 ¥479

24.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥907

$2.18 ¥343

163.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.42 ¥224

4.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.28 ¥201

35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥914

$5.29 ¥834

9.64%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.20 ¥347

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,813

$9.42 ¥1,485

22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,098

$5.25 ¥828

32.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,585

$18.86 ¥2,973

-13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥746

$3.59 ¥566

31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$1.88 ¥296

21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥672

$2.79 ¥440

52.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥846

$2.87 ¥453

87.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.23 ¥351

47.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.64 ¥417

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.05 ¥165

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.99 ¥156

-19.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$4.05 ¥639

-3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$6.23 ¥983

56.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.64 ¥259

3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$1.72 ¥270

54.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.62 ¥256

-22.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,845

$56.8 ¥8,950

10.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥496

$3.98 ¥627

-20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.04 ¥322

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,992

$17.83 ¥2,811

6.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.05 ¥165

5.71%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

11.03%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-0.30%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$196 ¥31.0K

-25.24%

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

$23.17 ¥3,654

$25.10 ¥3,959

-7.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,746

$32.21 ¥5,079

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,057

$52.1 ¥8,220

10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,175

$3.22 ¥508

722.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,111

$12.65 ¥1,995

5.85%

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

$1,410 ¥222.4K

$379 ¥59.7K

272.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$12.3K ¥1.9M

51.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,724

$48.55 ¥7,656

13.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,114

$26.37 ¥4,158

22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$67.0 ¥10.6K

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$55.7 ¥8,784

29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.6K

$555 ¥87.5K

139.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.9K

$338 ¥53.2K

115.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.5K

$1,005 ¥158.5K

160.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.9K

$715 ¥112.8K

95.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,304 ¥678.7K

148.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.9K

$2,319 ¥365.6K

117.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.0K

$1,533 ¥241.8K

96.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.69

33.14%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Kitakyushu

$338 27% 53.7% $391

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Kitakyushu

$275 22% 16% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Kitakyushu

$254 20.3% 26.8% $54

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Kitakyushu

$140 11.2% 13% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Kitakyushu

$89 7.1% 11.9% $12

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 10.2% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 8.1% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $555 in Kitakyushu. 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 97% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $33 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $275 – making Kitakyushu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

939,029

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,250 in Kitakyushu – Kitakyushu 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 $1,875 in Kitakyushu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitakyushu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $555 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $33 in Kitakyushu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,250 in Kitakyushu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kitakyushu costs $1,250 versus $1,688 in Tokyo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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