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: $1,701 in Tokyo versus $2,293 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,691 in Tokyo versus $3,370 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Tokyo versus $4,447 in Madrid.

Living in Tokyo costs roughly 26% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 27% above, Madrid 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 ¥1,314

$17.33 €15.17

-53.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.77 ¥7,923

$68.7 €60.2

-28.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 ¥891

$11.95 €10.47

-54.14%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ¥584

$3.10 €2.72

16.13%

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

$1.27 ¥206

$3.21 €2.81

-60.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥140

$2.14 €1.88

-59.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 ¥662

$4.10 €3.59

-0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 ¥883

$4.55 €3.99

19.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥264

$1.19 €1.04

36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ¥245

$1.71 €1.50

-11.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 ¥868

$1.72 €1.50

210.47%

Eggs

$2.32 ¥377

$3.52 €3.08

-34.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.96 ¥2,593

$14.98 €13.12

6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 ¥1,319

$8.83 €7.74

-8.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.55 ¥3,664

$16.75 €14.67

34.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 ¥897

$2.60 €2.28

112.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥421

$2.22 €1.94

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.92 ¥962

$2.45 €2.15

141.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ¥987

$2.65 €2.32

129.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 ¥527

$2.07 €1.81

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ¥551

$2.15 €1.88

57.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ¥235

$1.34 €1.17

8.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥142

$0.99 €0.87

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ¥691

$6.99 €6.12

-39.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 ¥1,513

$7.77 €6.81

19.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥334

$1.43 €1.25

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ¥466

$2.18 €1.91

31.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥241

$1.78 €1.56

-16.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 ¥13.7K

$48.79 €42.73

73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥548

$4.12 €3.61

-17.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥473

$1.39 €1.22

109.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.24 ¥4,264

$28.50 €24.96

-7.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥195

$1.92 €1.68

-37.50%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$37.7K €33.0K

-37.43%

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

$17.2K ¥2.8M

$34.1K €29.9K

-49.59%

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

$168 ¥27.2K

$193 €169

-13.19%

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

$25.82 ¥4,195

$21.55 €18.88

19.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 ¥5,444

$35.97 €31.50

-6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.9 ¥11.5K

$52.7 €46.15

34.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 ¥3,289

$17.64 €15.45

14.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 ¥2,124

$11.44 €10.02

14.25%

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

$495 ¥80.3K

$669 €586

-26.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥2.6M

$11.9K €10.4K

32.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ¥10,000

$94.7 €82.9

-35.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.66 ¥6,769

$42.81 €37.50

-2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 ¥10.7K

$105 €91.8

-37.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 ¥14.8K

$132 €116

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 ¥182.0K

$1,607 €1,408

-30.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 ¥98.5K

$1,151 €1,008

-47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 ¥435.5K

$2,839 €2,486

-5.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 ¥218.0K

$1,879 €1,646

-28.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K ¥1.7M

$9,038 €7,915

14.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,986 ¥810.1K

$4,262 €3,733

16.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,330 ¥378.5K

$2,464 €2,158

-5.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

3.43

-49.85%

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

Last update for Tokyo: July 12, 2026

Last update for Madrid: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Tokyo and $1,607 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Tokyo vs $69.0 in Madrid. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $293, 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 35% 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.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Madrid. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,120 in Tokyo versus $1,607 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Madrid pay roughly 30% 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 $49.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,701 in Tokyo versus $2,293 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 $1,701 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 35% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.