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: $1,684 in Tokyo versus $1,147 in Oita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,693 in Tokyo versus $1,739 in Oita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,703 in Tokyo versus $2,330 in Oita.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 47% more expensive than Oita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 26% above, Oita is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 ¥1,294

$5.43 ¥868

48.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.31 ¥7,727

$41.03 ¥6,563

17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ¥910

$6.13 ¥980

-7.18%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥571

$2.07 ¥330

72.46%

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

$1.26 ¥202

$1.08 ¥173

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥148

$0.68 ¥108

36.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 ¥681

$3.40 ¥544

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 ¥848

$3.20 ¥512

65.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥252

$1.31 ¥210

20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥254

$1.34 ¥215

18.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 ¥851

$4.08 ¥653

30.39%

Eggs

$2.41 ¥385

$2.51 ¥401

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,565

$5.91 ¥945

171.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ¥1,255

$6.11 ¥978

28.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.16 ¥3,704

$11.37 ¥1,819

103.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 ¥836

$5.38 ¥860

-2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ¥412

$5.00 ¥800

-48.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 ¥917

$5.19 ¥830

10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$2.28 ¥365

161.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ¥514

$1.37 ¥219

134.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ¥562

$1.42 ¥228

147.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ¥236

$1.18 ¥189

25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥143

$0.76 ¥121

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥684

$3.96 ¥634

7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,501

$6.35 ¥1,016

47.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥343

$2.00 ¥320

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ¥461

$2.12 ¥339

35.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥237

$1.27 ¥204

16.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 ¥13.6K

$34.59 ¥5,533

145.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$3.55 ¥568

-1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥458

$1.96 ¥314

46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 ¥4,281

$19.67 ¥3,147

36.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥195

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-0.65%

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

$17.4K ¥2.8M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

19.37%

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

$164 ¥26.2K

$83.2 ¥13.3K

96.69%

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

$26.63 ¥4,259

$26.80 ¥4,287

-0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.94 ¥5,428

$22.56 ¥3,608

50.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ¥11.0K

$57.7 ¥9,232

19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ¥3,217

$6.88 ¥1,100

192.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 ¥2,088

$10.34 ¥1,654

26.31%

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

$506 ¥81.0K

$424 ¥67.9K

19.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$13.5K ¥2.2M

15.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ¥9,611

$39.51 ¥6,320

52.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 ¥6,448

$28.90 ¥4,622

39.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.3K

$67.2 ¥10.7K

-3.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥14.6K

$94.0 ¥15.0K

-2.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ¥175.0K

$455 ¥72.8K

140.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥95.4K

$373 ¥59.6K

59.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 ¥417.4K

$765 ¥122.3K

241.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 ¥214.2K

$549 ¥87.8K

144.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ¥1.7M

$3,984 ¥637.2K

171.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,974 ¥795.6K

$2,048 ¥327.6K

142.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 ¥400.1K

$1,272 ¥203.5K

96.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

1.5

14.67%

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

Last update for Tokyo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Oita: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Tokyo and $455 in Oita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 97% 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: $48.00 in Tokyo vs $41.00 in Oita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $272 per month, with Oita cheaper across the board.

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 47% 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.

Tokyo pays 97% more on average, 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: $1,094 in Tokyo versus $455 in Oita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Tokyo versus $424 in Oita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,147 in Oita versus $1,684 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 $1,147 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 47% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.