Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Morioka

For one person, living is cheaper in Morioka: $1,189 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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 Morioka
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Morioka Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Morioka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,189

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Morioka

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,189 in Morioka, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Morioka $1,189

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,898 in Morioka, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Morioka $1,898

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,607 in Morioka, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Morioka $2,607

Tokyo costs about 42% more than Morioka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Morioka is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$6.22 ¥982

24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$32.27 ¥5,094

16.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$5.15 ¥813

-2.72%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.06 ¥482

20.26%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.14 ¥180

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.80 ¥127

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$2.63 ¥415

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$3.23 ¥511

78.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.47 ¥232

1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.54 ¥243

12.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$4.08 ¥644

42.16%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.13 ¥336

5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$9.94 ¥1,569

15.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$7.45 ¥1,176

-6.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$16.63 ¥2,626

-1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$4.03 ¥636

17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.08 ¥328

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$3.03 ¥479

40.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$4.77 ¥752

12.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.78 ¥438

18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.73 ¥431

9.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.33 ¥210

-13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.91 ¥144

-12.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.57 ¥564

8.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.82 ¥1,077

42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.67 ¥264

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$2.39 ¥378

11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.47 ¥232

-14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$57.6 ¥9,086

8.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.24 ¥511

-2.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$3.11 ¥491

0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$19.05 ¥3,008

-0.37%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

18.22%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-0.89%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$137 ¥21.6K

7.32%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$23.86 ¥3,768

-2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$31.17 ¥4,921

-3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$50.5 ¥7,975

13.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$13.62 ¥2,151

-1.69%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$759 ¥119.8K

85.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$13.5K ¥2.1M

38.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$43.09 ¥6,803

28.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$31.59 ¥4,987

2.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$69.6 ¥11.0K

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$102 ¥16.1K

-29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$626 ¥98.9K

112.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$300 ¥47.3K

143.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$916 ¥144.7K

186.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$706 ¥111.5K

98.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,709 ¥743.5K

127.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,118 ¥334.4K

138.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.21

1.81%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Morioka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Morioka

$300 25.2% 58.9% $429

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Morioka

$297 25% 9.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Morioka

$192 16.1% 4.1% $8.3

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Morioka

$129 10.9% 19.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Morioka

$111 9.3% 9.7% $9.8

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Morioka

$82 6.9% 4.7% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Morioka

$78 6.5% 7.7% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $626 in Morioka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $32 in Morioka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $297 – making Morioka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Morioka

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

289,731

💱 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 Morioka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,189 in Morioka – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,783 in Morioka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Morioka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $626 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Tokyo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $32 in Morioka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,189 in Morioka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Morioka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

For expats, Morioka is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 42% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.