Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kobe: $1,392 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Kobe
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Kobe Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Kobe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kobe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo versus $1,392 in Kobe.

Tokyo $1,688
Kobe $1,392

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Tokyo versus $2,067 in Kobe.

Tokyo $2,588
Kobe $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Tokyo versus $2,742 in Kobe.

Tokyo $3,489
Kobe $2,742

Living in Tokyo is roughly 21% more expensive than in Kobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 24% above, Kobe 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$7.70 ¥1,216

0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$31.86 ¥5,031

17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$4.91 ¥776

2.04%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$2.37 ¥375

55.27%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.19 ¥188

26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.57 ¥90.0

49.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$2.12 ¥335

77.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$2.30 ¥363

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.57 ¥248

-5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.34 ¥211

29.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$4.17 ¥658

39.09%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.04 ¥322

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$12.61 ¥1,990

-8.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$6.78 ¥1,070

2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$17.06 ¥2,694

-3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$7.70 ¥1,216

-38.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$3.06 ¥484

-25.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$4.97 ¥784

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$7.71 ¥1,217

-30.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$3.84 ¥606

-14.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$3.45 ¥545

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.13 ¥179

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.94 ¥148

-14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.48 ¥549

11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$8.05 ¥1,271

20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.96 ¥310

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$1.45 ¥229

83.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.45 ¥229

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$62.4 ¥9,856

0.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.11 ¥491

1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$3.24 ¥511

-3.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$26.72 ¥4,218

-28.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.06 ¥168

4.72%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$19.9K ¥3.1M

13.07%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-0.67%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$148 ¥23.3K

-0.60%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$23.26 ¥3,672

-0.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$31.25 ¥4,933

-3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$46.90 ¥7,405

22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

$11.83 ¥1,868

123.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$12.86 ¥2,031

4.12%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$321 ¥50.6K

339.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$6,141 ¥969.5K

203.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$50.6 ¥7,990

9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$25.01 ¥3,949

29.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$45.98 ¥7,260

40.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$65.6 ¥10.4K

9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$691 ¥109.0K

92.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$463 ¥73.1K

57.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$1,100 ¥173.7K

138.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$737 ¥116.4K

90.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,325 ¥682.9K

147.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,894 ¥456.9K

74.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

$1,975 ¥311.8K

52.83%

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 Kobe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Kobe

$463 33.3% 36.5% $266

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Kobe

$355 25.5% 8.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Kobe

$202 14.5% 1.1% $2.1

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Kobe

$127 9.1% 20.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Kobe

$84 6.1% 16.5% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Kobe

$88 6.3% 1.5% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Kobe

$73 5.2% 13.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Tokyo and $691 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tokyo vs $32 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $355, with Tokyo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kobe

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,537,272

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Tokyo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Tokyo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,329 in Tokyo versus $691 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,410 in Tokyo versus $321 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kobe – a meal for two runs $32 versus $38 in Tokyo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kobe is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,392 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Kobe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Kobe wins on affordability, Tokyo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.