Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Nagoya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagoya: $1,373 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Nagoya
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Nagoya Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Nagoya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Nagoya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,648 in Tokyo versus $1,373 in Nagoya.

Tokyo $1,648
Nagoya $1,373

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Tokyo versus $2,176 in Nagoya.

Tokyo $2,604
Nagoya $2,176

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Tokyo versus $2,979 in Nagoya.

Tokyo $3,561
Nagoya $2,979

Living in Tokyo is roughly 20% more expensive than in Nagoya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 22% above, Nagoya 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$8.56 ¥1,353

-9.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.66 ¥5,001

21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.12 ¥809

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$2.59 ¥410

38.22%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$1.26 ¥199

24.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.88 ¥140

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$3.16 ¥500

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.22 ¥508

62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.57 ¥247

-1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.49 ¥236

17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$4.08 ¥645

36.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.19 ¥345

2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$15.51 ¥2,450

-27.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$7.03 ¥1,110

-3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$16.86 ¥2,664

-0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$8.24 ¥1,302

-43.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$3.05 ¥482

-25.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$5.10 ¥805

-15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$7.96 ¥1,257

-34.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$4.11 ¥650

-18.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$4.65 ¥735

-35.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.90 ¥142

-7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.95 ¥623

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$9.24 ¥1,460

3.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$2.51 ¥397

-35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.15 ¥340

21.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.48 ¥233

-17.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$118 ¥18.6K

-47.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.21 ¥507

-0.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.83 ¥446

9.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$16.07 ¥2,539

16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥173

0.91%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

1.79%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-2.43%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$115 ¥18.1K

29.21%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$23.43 ¥3,702

-2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$30.91 ¥4,883

-3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$50.4 ¥7,959

30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

$13.78 ¥2,177

90.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$12.68 ¥2,003

4.26%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$573 ¥90.5K

129.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$50.2 ¥7,922

8.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$35.45 ¥5,601

-7.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$60.4 ¥9,543

8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$97.1 ¥15.3K

-27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$523 ¥82.7K

146.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$352 ¥55.7K

94.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,228 ¥194.0K

104.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$744 ¥117.5K

96.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$2,026 ¥320.1K

354.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,039 ¥164.1K

306.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,871 ¥295.6K

60.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.02

11.39%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Nagoya

$352 25.7% 48.5% $332

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Nagoya

$380 27.7% 16.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Nagoya

$169 12.3% 15.8% $32

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Nagoya

$146 10.6% 8.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Nagoya

$109 8% 9% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Nagoya

$76 5.5% 17.6% $16

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Nagoya

$141 10.3% 64.4% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Tokyo and $523 in Nagoya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 60% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tokyo vs $32.00 in Nagoya. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $380, with Tokyo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Nagoya

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

2,236,000

💱 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 Nagoya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagoya is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Tokyo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,288 in Tokyo versus $523 in Nagoya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nagoya runs roughly 89% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,314 in Tokyo versus $573 in Nagoya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,373 in Nagoya versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagoya but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Nagoya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nagoya 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 Nagoya 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 Nagoya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.