Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Okayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Okayama: $975 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Okayama
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Okayama Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Okayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Okayama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,648 in Tokyo versus $975 in Okayama.

Tokyo $1,648
Okayama $975

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Tokyo versus $1,564 in Okayama.

Tokyo $2,604
Okayama $1,564

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Tokyo versus $2,153 in Okayama.

Tokyo $3,561
Okayama $2,153

Living in Tokyo is roughly 69% more expensive than in Okayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 22% above, Okayama is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$5.90 ¥933

32.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$24.92 ¥3,937

54.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.01 ¥791

-0.40%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$1.71 ¥270

109.36%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$0.71 ¥111

121.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.68 ¥107

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$1.88 ¥296

99.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$1.92 ¥304

171.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.35 ¥214

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$0.61 ¥96.4

186.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$4.11 ¥649

35.28%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$1.48 ¥234

52.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$15.36 ¥2,426

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.33 ¥1,000

6.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$17.08 ¥2,698

-1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$4.98 ¥787

-6.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.90 ¥459

-21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$4.94 ¥781

-12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$4.44 ¥701

17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.24 ¥355

48.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.84 ¥291

63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.14 ¥180

1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.67 ¥107

23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.81 ¥602

1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$9.59 ¥1,515

-0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.94 ¥306

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$1.86 ¥294

40.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.45 ¥229

-15.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$52.5 ¥8,300

18.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.22 ¥509

-0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.46 ¥388

25.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$21.52 ¥3,399

-13.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$0.99 ¥157

12.12%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

0.16%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-1.98%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$72.1 ¥11.4K

105.61%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$14.09 ¥2,227

61.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$25.42 ¥4,016

17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$52.7 ¥8,321

24.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.33 ¥1,790

16.68%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$578 ¥91.3K

127.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

19.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$49.16 ¥7,766

10.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$35.88 ¥5,668

-8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$60.9 ¥9,628

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$97.1 ¥15.3K

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$329 ¥52.0K

291.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$192 ¥30.4K

256.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$644 ¥101.7K

289.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$428 ¥67.7K

240.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,159 ¥657.1K

121.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,788 ¥282.4K

136.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,377 ¥217.6K

117.34%

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 Okayama: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Okayama

$192 19.7% 71.9% $492

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Okayama

$311 31.9% 4.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Okayama

$112 11.5% 44.4% $89

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Okayama

$102 10.4% 36.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Okayama

$109 11.2% 9% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Okayama

$75 7.7% 18.1% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Okayama

$74 7.6% 14% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Tokyo and $329 in Okayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 117% 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 $25.00 in Okayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $311 per month, with Okayama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Okayama

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

719,474

💱 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 Okayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo and Okayama differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,648 vs $975 including rent). Okayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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 $329 in Okayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,648 per month in Tokyo versus $975 in Okayama – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Okayama runs roughly 19% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $975 in Okayama versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Okayama but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Okayama 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 Okayama 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 Okayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.