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: $1,692 in Tokyo versus $1,353 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,641 in Tokyo versus $1,946 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Tokyo versus $2,539 in Otsu.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 25% more expensive than in Otsu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 23% above, Otsu is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.83 ¥1,202

$8.97 ¥1,378

-12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 ¥5,995

$32.16 ¥4,939

21.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 ¥809

$5.06 ¥777

4.15%

Cappuccino

$3.71 ¥569

$3.18 ¥489

16.67%

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

$1.74 ¥268

$1.27 ¥194

37.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥138

$0.85 ¥131

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 ¥609

$3.18 ¥488

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 ¥810

$4.61 ¥707

14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥248

$1.55 ¥237

3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥274

$1.58 ¥242

13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 ¥885

$4.55 ¥699

26.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥345

$2.29 ¥351

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 ¥1,696

$16.29 ¥2,501

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 ¥1,189

$6.63 ¥1,018

16.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 ¥3,117

$17.39 ¥2,670

16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥819

$5.07 ¥778

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 ¥382

$2.64 ¥405

-5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 ¥724

$5.07 ¥779

-6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ¥888

$4.42 ¥678

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 ¥554

$2.23 ¥342

61.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ¥521

$1.91 ¥293

77.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥195

$1.17 ¥180

8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥123

$0.90 ¥139

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ¥633

$4.00 ¥613

3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 ¥1,513

$9.71 ¥1,491

1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥278

$2.13 ¥327

-15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ¥486

$2.22 ¥341

42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥198

$1.52 ¥233

-15.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 ¥11.1K

$60.8 ¥9,332

18.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥487

$3.26 ¥501

-2.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 ¥488

$2.97 ¥456

7.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.21 ¥2,950

$28.77 ¥4,418

-33.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥174

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

$22.2K ¥3.4M

$22.5K ¥3.5M

-1.72%

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

$15.6K ¥2.4M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

1.10%

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

$162 ¥24.8K

$120 ¥18.4K

35.00%

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

$22.42 ¥3,443

$24.17 ¥3,712

-7.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.34 ¥4,659

$32.09 ¥4,927

-5.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ¥9,958

$53.1 ¥8,159

22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.93 ¥4,135

$9.90 ¥1,519

172.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 ¥2,003

$12.86 ¥1,974

1.40%

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

$1,347 ¥206.9K

$585 ¥89.9K

130.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$13.0K ¥2.0M

43.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 ¥8,137

$56.8 ¥8,724

-6.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 ¥5,100

$36.65 ¥5,628

-9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 ¥9,782

$69.7 ¥10.7K

-8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 ¥11.2K

$102 ¥15.7K

-28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 ¥198.1K

$454 ¥69.8K

183.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 ¥105.5K

$375 ¥57.6K

83.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 ¥391.5K

$658 ¥101.0K

287.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 ¥210.9K

$480 ¥73.7K

186.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,017 ¥1.4M

$4,448 ¥683.0K

102.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,353 ¥668.4K

$2,019 ¥310.0K

115.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,959 ¥454.4K

$1,871 ¥287.3K

58.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.94

2.1

-7.62%

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

Last update for Tokyo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Otsu: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,290 in Tokyo and $454 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 58% 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 $32.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $337 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 25% 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.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,290 in Tokyo versus $454 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,347 in Tokyo versus $585 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,353 in Otsu versus $1,692 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 $1,353 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 25% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.