Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Oita Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Oita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Tokyo versus $968 in Oita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Tokyo versus $1,610 in Oita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,517 in Tokyo versus $2,253 in Oita.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 71% more expensive than in Oita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 20% above, Oita is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.31 ¥1,142

$4.96 ¥775

47.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 ¥5,798

$42.11 ¥6,579

-11.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥777

$5.74 ¥896

-13.24%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ¥570

$1.94 ¥302

88.14%

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

$1.69 ¥263

$1.06 ¥166

59.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥144

$0.61 ¥95.8

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ¥570

$3.20 ¥500

14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 ¥791

$2.14 ¥335

136.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥243

$1.32 ¥206

17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥269

$1.24 ¥194

38.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.92 ¥925

$6.22 ¥972

-4.82%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥349

$2.19 ¥342

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 ¥1,775

$3.05 ¥477

272.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 ¥1,199

$5.46 ¥853

40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 ¥3,142

$12.55 ¥1,960

60.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 ¥809

$2.19 ¥342

136.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ¥393

$1.27 ¥198

97.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ¥725

$1.58 ¥247

193.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 ¥923

$2.00 ¥312

195.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 ¥553

$1.24 ¥194

185.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ¥538

$1.28 ¥200

168.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ¥190

$0.91 ¥142

34.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥134

$0.98 ¥153

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥621

$3.80 ¥594

4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,489

$6.27 ¥980

51.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥278

$1.58 ¥246

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ¥474

$1.88 ¥293

61.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 ¥192

$1.48 ¥231

-16.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 ¥10.6K

$55.6 ¥8,682

21.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 ¥494

$4.02 ¥627

-21.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 ¥475

$2.02 ¥315

50.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.14 ¥2,834

$17.55 ¥2,742

3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥162

$1.10 ¥172

-5.45%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.2K ¥3.3M

2.17%

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

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

-13.45%

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

$157 ¥24.5K

$49.78 ¥7,776

215.39%

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

$22.07 ¥3,448

$25.01 ¥3,908

-11.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 ¥4,720

$32.56 ¥5,086

-7.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 ¥9,770

$49.61 ¥7,750

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 ¥3,955

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,921

$9.50 ¥1,485

29.47%

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

$1,300 ¥203.0K

$123 ¥19.3K

953.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥2.8M

$12.1K ¥1.9M

46.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ¥8,000

$37.43 ¥5,848

36.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 ¥5,054

$23.59 ¥3,685

37.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ¥9,777

$59.4 ¥9,275

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 ¥11.6K

$46.28 ¥7,230

61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 ¥192.2K

$468 ¥73.0K

163.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥103.0K

$320 ¥50.0K

106.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 ¥369.9K

$1,076 ¥168.1K

120.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 ¥212.1K

$717 ¥112.0K

89.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 ¥1.4M

$4,407 ¥688.4K

98.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 ¥616.2K

$1,908 ¥298.1K

106.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,843 ¥444.2K

$992 ¥154.9K

186.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.93

1.97

-2.03%

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

Last update for Tokyo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Oita: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,230 in Tokyo and $468 in Oita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 187% 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: $37.00 in Tokyo vs $42.00 in Oita. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $214, with Oita cheaper for home cooking.

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 Oita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Tokyo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 187% 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: $1,230 in Tokyo versus $468 in Oita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,300 in Tokyo versus $123 in Oita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $968 in Oita versus $1,653 in Tokyo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Oita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oita delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $968 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oita hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Oita 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 Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.