Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Nagasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagasaki: $1,287 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Nagasaki
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Nagasaki Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Nagasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Nagasaki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo versus $1,287 in Nagasaki.

Tokyo $1,688
Nagasaki $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Tokyo versus $1,907 in Nagasaki.

Tokyo $2,588
Nagasaki $1,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Tokyo versus $2,527 in Nagasaki.

Tokyo $3,489
Nagasaki $2,527

Living in Tokyo is roughly 31% more expensive than in Nagasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 24% above, Nagasaki is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,217

$5.03 ¥792

53.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,909

$19.07 ¥3,004

96.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥788

$5.10 ¥803

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥579

$3.63 ¥572

1.38%

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

$1.51 ¥238

$1.04 ¥164

45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.76 ¥120

11.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥594

$2.16 ¥341

74.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥906

$2.26 ¥355

154.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.55 ¥245

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.84 ¥290

-5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥913

$6.21 ¥979

-6.60%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.03 ¥320

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,811

$9.36 ¥1,475

22.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,096

$3.21 ¥506

116.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,582

$19.33 ¥3,045

-15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥745

$3.56 ¥561

32.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$1.83 ¥288

24.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥671

$2.88 ¥453

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥845

$3.26 ¥514

64.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.24 ¥353

46.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.65 ¥417

13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.04 ¥163

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.97 ¥152

-17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.87 ¥609

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,531

$6.50 ¥1,024

49.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥268

$1.71 ¥269

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$1.85 ¥291

43.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.27 ¥200

-1.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,835

$56.4 ¥8,888

10.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥495

$4.12 ¥649

-23.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.40 ¥378

30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,989

$17.66 ¥2,782

7.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.08 ¥170

2.78%

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-1.39%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-0.81%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$215 ¥33.8K

-31.56%

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

$23.17 ¥3,650

$24.77 ¥3,902

-6.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,741

$33.03 ¥5,203

-8.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,048

$52.3 ¥8,242

9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,171

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,109

$12.66 ¥1,995

5.77%

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

$1,410 ¥222.1K

$706 ¥111.2K

99.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

49.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,715

$48.40 ¥7,624

14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,108

$25.87 ¥4,075

25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.1K

$67.7 ¥10.7K

-4.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$46.74 ¥7,363

54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.4K

$550 ¥86.6K

141.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.8K

$374 ¥58.9K

94.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.1K

$1,085 ¥170.9K

141.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.7K

$743 ¥117.0K

88.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,205 ¥662.3K

154.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.1K

$2,287 ¥360.3K

120.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥475.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.97

14.21%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Nagasaki

$374 29.1% 48.7% $354

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Nagasaki

$279 21.7% 14.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Nagasaki

$272 21.2% 36.1% $72

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Nagasaki

$122 9.5% 24.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Nagasaki

$85 6.6% 15.8% $16

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Nagasaki

$78 6% 10% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Nagasaki

$78 6% 7.8% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Tokyo and $550 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tokyo vs $19 in Nagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $279 per month, with Nagasaki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Nagasaki

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

409,118

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,533 in Tokyo and $1,931 in Nagasaki 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 $550 in Nagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $19 versus $38 in Tokyo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Nagasaki versus $1,688 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Nagasaki are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Nagasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.