Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Tokyo versus $2,368 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Tokyo versus $3,435 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,517 in Tokyo versus $4,502 in Madrid.

Living in Tokyo costs roughly 30% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 20% above, Madrid 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.31 ¥1,137

$18.78 €16.15

-61.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 ¥5,776

$68.5 €58.9

-45.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥774

$11.98 €10.30

-58.43%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ¥567

$3.22 €2.77

13.35%

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

$1.69 ¥262

$3.37 €2.90

-49.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥144

$2.29 €1.97

-59.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ¥568

$3.97 €3.41

-8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 ¥788

$5.10 €4.38

-0.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥242

$1.35 €1.16

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥268

$1.64 €1.41

4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.92 ¥922

$1.73 €1.49

242.20%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥347

$4.42 €3.80

-49.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 ¥1,769

$17.22 €14.81

-34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 ¥1,194

$9.82 €8.44

-21.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 ¥3,130

$18.22 €15.66

10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 ¥806

$2.73 €2.35

89.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ¥391

$2.36 €2.03

6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ¥722

$2.59 €2.23

79.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 ¥920

$2.68 €2.30

120.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 ¥551

$2.29 €1.97

54.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ¥536

$2.27 €1.95

51.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ¥189

$1.58 €1.36

-22.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥133

$1.12 €0.96

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥618

$6.79 €5.84

-41.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,484

$8.33 €7.16

14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥277

$1.23 €1.05

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ¥472

$2.25 €1.93

34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 ¥191

$1.71 €1.47

-28.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 ¥10.5K

$37.94 €32.62

78.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 ¥492

$3.97 €3.41

-20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 ¥473

$1.58 €1.36

92.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.14 ¥2,824

$30.36 €26.10

-40.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥162

$1.84 €1.58

-43.48%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$37.0K €31.8K

-41.31%

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

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$34.1K €29.3K

-56.86%

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

$157 ¥24.4K

$195 €167

-19.31%

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

$22.07 ¥3,435

$19.08 €16.40

15.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 ¥4,702

$36.32 €31.23

-16.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 ¥9,734

$51.2 €44.03

22.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 ¥3,941

$19.35 €16.63

30.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,914

$11.39 €9.79

7.99%

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

$1,300 ¥202.3K

$696 €598

86.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥2.8M

$18.0K €15.5K

-1.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ¥7,970

$89.1 €76.6

-42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 ¥5,035

$44.57 €38.32

-27.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ¥9,740

$108 €92.9

-42.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 ¥11.6K

$113 €97.1

-33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 ¥191.5K

$1,583 €1,361

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥102.7K

$1,225 €1,053

-46.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 ¥368.5K

$2,813 €2,418

-15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 ¥211.3K

$1,871 €1,608

-27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 ¥1.4M

$9,303 €7,998

-5.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 ¥613.9K

$4,251 €3,655

-7.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,843 ¥442.5K

$2,584 €2,221

10.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.93

3.09

-37.54%

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

Last update for Tokyo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Madrid: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,230 in Tokyo and $1,583 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Tokyo vs $68.0 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $320, with Madrid cheaper for home cooking.

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 Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tokyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,230 in Tokyo versus $1,583 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tokyo – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $68.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,653 in Tokyo versus $2,368 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tokyo but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Tokyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tokyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,653 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tokyo hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Tokyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.