Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Otsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Otsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Tokyo versus $1,216 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,693 in Tokyo versus $1,935 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,703 in Tokyo versus $2,655 in Otsu.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 39% more expensive than Otsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 26% above, Otsu is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 ¥1,294

$8.09 ¥1,293

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.31 ¥7,727

$34.07 ¥5,450

41.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ¥910

$5.64 ¥903

0.89%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥571

$3.09 ¥495

15.53%

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

$1.26 ¥202

$0.92 ¥147

36.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥148

$0.72 ¥115

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 ¥681

$3.52 ¥563

20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 ¥848

$3.19 ¥510

66.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥252

$1.69 ¥270

-6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥254

$1.72 ¥274

-7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 ¥851

$3.09 ¥495

72.17%

Eggs

$2.41 ¥385

$2.35 ¥376

2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,565

$9.61 ¥1,537

66.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ¥1,255

$7.75 ¥1,239

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.16 ¥3,704

$15.18 ¥2,428

52.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 ¥836

$5.40 ¥865

-3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ¥412

$2.60 ¥416

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 ¥917

$4.96 ¥793

15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$3.95 ¥632

51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ¥514

$1.66 ¥265

93.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ¥562

$2.36 ¥378

48.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ¥236

$1.23 ¥197

20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥143

$1.01 ¥161

-10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥684

$4.04 ¥646

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,501

$7.31 ¥1,169

28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥343

$1.80 ¥288

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ¥461

$2.39 ¥382

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥237

$1.61 ¥258

-8.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 ¥13.6K

$55.1 ¥8,818

53.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$3.49 ¥557

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥458

$2.89 ¥462

-0.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 ¥4,281

$17.62 ¥2,819

51.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥195

$1.22 ¥196

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$22.8K ¥3.6M

2.96%

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

$17.4K ¥2.8M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

2.20%

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

$164 ¥26.2K

$113 ¥18.1K

44.79%

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

$26.63 ¥4,259

$26.63 ¥4,260

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.94 ¥5,428

$33.27 ¥5,322

2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ¥11.0K

$56.5 ¥9,036

22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ¥3,217

$14.04 ¥2,246

43.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 ¥2,088

$12.45 ¥1,992

4.90%

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

$506 ¥81.0K

$374 ¥59.9K

35.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$7,274 ¥1.2M

115.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ¥9,611

$46.68 ¥7,466

28.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 ¥6,448

$31.44 ¥5,028

28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.3K

$55.4 ¥8,859

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥14.6K

$92.4 ¥14.8K

-1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ¥175.0K

$467 ¥74.7K

134.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥95.4K

$325 ¥52.1K

83.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 ¥417.4K

$877 ¥140.3K

197.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 ¥214.2K

$651 ¥104.2K

105.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ¥1.7M

$4,879 ¥780.4K

121.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,974 ¥795.6K

$2,196 ¥351.2K

126.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 ¥400.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

1.78

-3.37%

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

Last update for Tokyo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Otsu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Tokyo and $467 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Tokyo vs $34.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $306 per month, with Otsu 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Tokyo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Otsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,526 in Tokyo and $1,823 in Otsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,094 in Tokyo versus $467 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Tokyo versus $374 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,216 in Otsu versus $1,684 in Tokyo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Otsu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,216 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Otsu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.