Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Nishinomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nishinomiya: $1,257 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Nishinomiya
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Nishinomiya Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Nishinomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Nishinomiya

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

A single person spends $1,648 per month in Tokyo vs $1,257 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Tokyo $1,648
Nishinomiya $1,257

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $2,020 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Nishinomiya $2,020

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Tokyo vs $2,783 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Tokyo $3,561
Nishinomiya $2,783

Tokyo costs about 31% more than Nishinomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 22% above the global median, while Nishinomiya is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$8.71 ¥1,377

-10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.81 ¥5,025

21.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.02 ¥794

-0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$2.26 ¥358

58.41%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$1.17 ¥185

34.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.63 ¥99.4

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.09 ¥331

79.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$2.23 ¥353

134.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.49 ¥236

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.49 ¥236

17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$5.61 ¥886

-0.89%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.14 ¥338

5.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$12.69 ¥2,005

-10.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$9.42 ¥1,489

-28.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$31.74 ¥5,015

-46.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$5.13 ¥810

-9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$1.81 ¥286

25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$3.04 ¥480

42.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$6.01 ¥949

-12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$1.62 ¥256

105.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.53 ¥400

18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.13 ¥179

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.94 ¥149

-11.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.41 ¥538

13.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$9.56 ¥1,511

-0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$2.35 ¥371

-30.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$1.52 ¥240

72.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.50 ¥237

-18.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$53.1 ¥8,392

17.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.23 ¥510

-1.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.81 ¥444

9.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$15.51 ¥2,450

20.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$19.8K ¥3.1M

11.23%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

0.19%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$117 ¥18.4K

26.99%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$23.12 ¥3,653

-1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$30.51 ¥4,819

-2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$62.2 ¥9,820

5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.49 ¥1,816

15.06%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$323 ¥51.0K

306.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$6,082 ¥960.9K

194.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$49.33 ¥7,793

10.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$25.09 ¥3,964

30.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$46.56 ¥7,356

40.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$523 ¥82.6K

146.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$328 ¥51.9K

108.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,114 ¥175.9K

125.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$751 ¥118.6K

94.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,265 ¥673.9K

115.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,735 ¥274.1K

143.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,977 ¥312.4K

51.40%

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 Nishinomiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Nishinomiya

$328 26.1% 52% $356

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Nishinomiya

$380 30.2% 16.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Nishinomiya

$170 13.5% 15.2% $30

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Nishinomiya

$134 10.7% 15.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Nishinomiya

$83 6.6% 16.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Nishinomiya

$85 6.8% 7.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Nishinomiya

$76 6.1% 11% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Tokyo versus $523 in Nishinomiya. 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 51% 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 $32.00 in Nishinomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Tokyo vs $380 in Nishinomiya – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Nishinomiya

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

488,873

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Tokyo and $1,886 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nishinomiya, 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 $32.00 in Nishinomiya. 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 $1,257 in Nishinomiya. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nishinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,257, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Nishinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nishinomiya – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Nishinomiya. 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.