Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Nagano

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,231 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Nagano
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Nagano Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Nagano

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

A single person spends $1,648 per month in Tokyo vs $1,231 in Nagano, rent included.

Tokyo $1,648
Nagano $1,231

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $1,891 in Nagano, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Nagano $1,891

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Tokyo vs $2,550 in Nagano, rent included.

Tokyo $3,561
Nagano $2,550

Tokyo costs about 34% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 22% above the global median, while Nagano is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$6.45 ¥1,019

20.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$40.32 ¥6,370

-4.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.13 ¥810

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$3.37 ¥532

6.23%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$1.06 ¥167

48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.80 ¥126

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.59 ¥409

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.06 ¥483

70.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.45 ¥228

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.64 ¥260

6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$3.57 ¥564

55.74%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$1.99 ¥315

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$10.32 ¥1,630

9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.17 ¥975

9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$14.40 ¥2,275

16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$5.82 ¥919

-19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.69 ¥425

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$2.84 ¥448

52.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$4.06 ¥642

28.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.50 ¥396

33.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.54 ¥401

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.25 ¥197

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.76 ¥121

9.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.68 ¥582

5.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$6.21 ¥982

53.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.82 ¥287

-10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.01 ¥317

30.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.31 ¥207

-6.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$51.2 ¥8,082

21.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.17 ¥501

0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.70 ¥427

14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$20.17 ¥3,187

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.05 ¥166

5.71%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

1.90%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-2.66%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$130 ¥20.6K

13.84%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$23.91 ¥3,778

-4.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$12.76 ¥2,016

134.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$53.1 ¥8,387

23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$12.71 ¥2,008

4.01%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$622 ¥98.3K

111.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

19.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$61.8 ¥9,759

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$36.29 ¥5,733

-9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$62.0 ¥9,797

5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$100 ¥15.8K

-29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$557 ¥88.0K

131.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$375 ¥59.2K

82.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,142 ¥180.4K

119.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$648 ¥102.4K

125.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,188 ¥661.7K

119.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,974 ¥311.9K

114.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$627 ¥99.0K

377.71%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Nagano: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Nagano

$375 30.4% 45.2% $310

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Nagano

$287 23.3% 11.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Nagano

$167 13.6% 16.9% $34

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Nagano

$134 10.9% 16% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Nagano

$117 9.5% 16.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Nagano

$79 6.4% 14.6% $13

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Nagano

$73 5.9% 14.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Tokyo versus $557 in Nagano. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 378% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tokyo versus $40.00 in Nagano. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Tokyo vs $287 in Nagano – so Nagano wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Nagano

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

372,760

💱 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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 34% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Tokyo and $1,847 in Nagano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tokyo and $40.00 in Nagano. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,648 in Tokyo and $1,231 in Nagano. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nagano costs $1,231 versus $1,648 in Tokyo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nagano. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.