Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Matsudo

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsudo: $1,200 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Matsudo
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Matsudo Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Matsudo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Matsudo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,663 in Tokyo versus $1,200 in Matsudo.

Tokyo $1,663
Matsudo $1,200

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,592 in Tokyo versus $1,896 in Matsudo.

Tokyo $2,592
Matsudo $1,896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,521 in Tokyo versus $2,593 in Matsudo.

Tokyo $3,521
Matsudo $2,593

Living in Tokyo is roughly 39% more expensive than in Matsudo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 23% above, Matsudo is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ¥1,180

$6.47 ¥1,023

15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.48 ¥5,921

$37.31 ¥5,895

0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.02 ¥793

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ¥571

$3.43 ¥542

5.54%

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

$1.66 ¥262

$1.10 ¥174

50.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥133

$0.78 ¥124

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥582

$2.45 ¥387

50.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 ¥829

$3.17 ¥501

65.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.44 ¥227

3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥276

$1.65 ¥260

6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 ¥889

$3.59 ¥567

56.82%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥348

$2.09 ¥330

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,767

$10.21 ¥1,613

9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 ¥1,081

$6.06 ¥957

12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 ¥2,624

$14.09 ¥2,226

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ¥759

$4.81 ¥759

-0.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ¥354

$2.29 ¥361

-2.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 ¥666

$2.94 ¥464

43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 ¥821

$4.21 ¥666

23.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.64 ¥417

24.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ¥481

$2.67 ¥421

14.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ¥188

$1.15 ¥181

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥129

$0.76 ¥120

6.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ¥619

$3.79 ¥599

3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,524

$6.21 ¥981

55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥258

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ¥426

$2.01 ¥318

34.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.53 ¥241

-18.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 ¥10.1K

$53.9 ¥8,521

18.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$3.17 ¥501

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.74 ¥433

17.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 ¥2,931

$18.67 ¥2,950

-0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.04 ¥164

0.96%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.4K ¥3.4M

0.53%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.7K ¥2.5M

-3.14%

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

$149 ¥23.5K

$130 ¥20.5K

14.34%

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

$21.59 ¥3,412

$21.89 ¥3,458

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.62 ¥4,837

$30.21 ¥4,772

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.7 ¥10.5K

$55.9 ¥8,832

19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 ¥4,042

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 ¥2,004

$12.39 ¥1,957

2.34%

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

$1,350 ¥213.3K

$628 ¥99.3K

114.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

20.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 ¥8,853

$54.9 ¥8,670

2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.14 ¥5,236

$33.28 ¥5,257

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 ¥10.2K

$61.5 ¥9,718

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ¥11.1K

$71.8 ¥11.3K

-2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ¥197.9K

$456 ¥72.1K

174.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 ¥110.6K

$348 ¥54.9K

101.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 ¥395.3K

$1,160 ¥183.3K

115.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 ¥225.9K

$738 ¥116.6K

93.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,428 ¥1.5M

$4,559 ¥720.3K

106.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,236 ¥669.3K

$1,840 ¥290.7K

130.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥473.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$700 42.1%

Matsudo

$348 29% 50.3% $352

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$325 19.5%

Matsudo

$279 23.2% 14.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.1%

Matsudo

$182 15.2% 9.3% $19

Eating Out

Tokyo

$157 9.4%

Matsudo

$134 11.2% 14.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6.1%

Matsudo

$100 8.3% 1% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.5%

Matsudo

$81 6.7% 12.3% $11

Getting Around

Tokyo

$88 5.3%

Matsudo

$77 6.4% 12.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,253 in Tokyo and $456 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Tokyo vs $37.00 in Matsudo. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $279, with Matsudo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Matsudo

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

485,803

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,495 in Tokyo and $1,800 in Matsudo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,253 in Tokyo versus $456 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 18% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,350 in Tokyo versus $628 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,200 in Matsudo versus $1,663 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tokyo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Matsudo 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 Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.