Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Mito

For one person, living is cheaper in Mito: $1,208 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Mito
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Mito Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Mito

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Mito

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo versus $1,208 in Mito.

Tokyo $1,688
Mito $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Tokyo versus $1,947 in Mito.

Tokyo $2,588
Mito $1,947

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Tokyo versus $2,686 in Mito.

Tokyo $3,489
Mito $2,686

Living in Tokyo is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 24% above, Mito is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,218

$6.27 ¥989

23.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,915

$40.72 ¥6,421

-7.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥789

$5.09 ¥803

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.47 ¥547

6.05%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.11 ¥175

36.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.80 ¥127

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥595

$2.59 ¥408

45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥907

$3.14 ¥495

83.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.39 ¥219

7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.76 ¥277

-1.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥914

$3.56 ¥561

62.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.02 ¥318

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,813

$10.37 ¥1,635

10.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,098

$6.00 ¥946

16.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,585

$14.65 ¥2,310

11.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥746

$5.69 ¥898

-16.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.70 ¥425

-15.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥672

$2.94 ¥463

44.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥846

$4.10 ¥647

30.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.54 ¥401

29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.63 ¥415

14.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.24 ¥196

-7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.77 ¥121

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$3.70 ¥583

5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$6.45 ¥1,017

50.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.79 ¥283

-5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$2.05 ¥323

29.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.55 ¥244

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,845

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-4.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥496

$3.08 ¥486

2.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.74 ¥432

14.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,992

$20.66 ¥3,258

-8.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.12 ¥177

-0.89%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

4.05%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.7K ¥2.5M

-2.04%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$130 ¥20.5K

13.08%

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

$23.17 ¥3,654

$24.70 ¥3,894

-6.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,746

$31.70 ¥4,999

-5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,057

$49.13 ¥7,747

16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,175

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,111

$13.28 ¥2,094

0.83%

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

$1,410 ¥222.4K

$831 ¥131.1K

69.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

23.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,724

$62.8 ¥9,898

-11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,114

$37.11 ¥5,852

-12.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$61.3 ¥9,663

5.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$101 ¥15.9K

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.6K

$557 ¥87.8K

138.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.9K

$317 ¥50.0K

129.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.5K

$1,034 ¥163.1K

153.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.9K

$733 ¥115.5K

91.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,884 ¥770.1K

119.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.9K

$2,182 ¥344.1K

131.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.64

-14.77%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mito: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Mito

$317 26.2% 56.5% $412

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Mito

$289 23.9% 11.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Mito

$186 15.4% 6.9% $14

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Mito

$134 11.1% 16.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Mito

$118 9.8% 16.9% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Mito

$88 7.3% 2.1% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Mito

$76 6.3% 10.1% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Tokyo and $557 in Mito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tokyo vs $41 in Mito. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $289, with Mito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Mito

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

271,047

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Mito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mito wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Tokyo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mito the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,533 in Tokyo and $1,811 in Mito 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: $1,329 in Tokyo versus $557 in Mito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tokyo – a meal for two runs $38 versus $41 in Mito. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Mito are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.