Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,297 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Otsu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo versus $1,297 in Otsu.

Tokyo $1,688
Otsu $1,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Tokyo versus $1,890 in Otsu.

Tokyo $2,588
Otsu $1,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Tokyo versus $2,482 in Otsu.

Tokyo $3,489
Otsu $2,482

Living in Tokyo is roughly 30% more expensive than in Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 24% above, Otsu is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$8.43 ¥1,330

-8.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$31.93 ¥5,041

17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$5.13 ¥810

-2.34%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.12 ¥493

17.95%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.18 ¥187

27.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.90 ¥142

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$3.19 ¥504

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$4.51 ¥712

27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.53 ¥242

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.55 ¥245

11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$4.52 ¥714

28.32%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.14 ¥338

5.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$15.67 ¥2,474

-26.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$6.88 ¥1,086

1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$17.21 ¥2,717

-4.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$4.95 ¥781

-4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.49 ¥392

-8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$4.97 ¥784

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$4.42 ¥698

21.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.20 ¥348

49.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.87 ¥295

60.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.19 ¥187

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.87 ¥137

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.97 ¥626

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$9.69 ¥1,529

0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$2.06 ¥325

-17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$2.19 ¥345

21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.49 ¥235

-16.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$57.5 ¥9,077

8.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.26 ¥514

-3.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$2.85 ¥449

10.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$28.41 ¥4,485

-33.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.12 ¥177

-0.89%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

1.50%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.49%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$118 ¥18.6K

24.80%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$23.18 ¥3,660

-0.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$30.70 ¥4,848

-1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$50.9 ¥8,039

12.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

$9.46 ¥1,493

179.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$12.85 ¥2,029

4.20%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$700 ¥110.6K

101.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$12.6K ¥2.0M

47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$55.5 ¥8,764

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$36.05 ¥5,691

-10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$69.5 ¥11.0K

-7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$97.1 ¥15.3K

-25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$443 ¥69.9K

200.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$366 ¥57.8K

98.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$623 ¥98.3K

320.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$461 ¥72.8K

203.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,199 ¥662.9K

154.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,274 ¥359.1K

122.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

$1,818 ¥287.0K

66.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.1

7.14%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Otsu

$366 28.3% 49.7% $362

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Otsu

$332 25.6% 1.3% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Otsu

$172 13.2% 14.3% $29

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Otsu

$154 11.8% 4.4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Otsu

$116 9% 15.1% $15

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Otsu

$81 6.2% 6.2% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Otsu

$77 5.9% 9% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Tokyo and $443 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tokyo vs $32 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $332, with Tokyo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

341,314

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 23% 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 66% 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: $1,329 in Tokyo versus $443 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,410 in Tokyo versus $700 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Otsu – a meal for two runs $32 versus $38 in Tokyo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Otsu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Otsu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Otsu wins on affordability, Tokyo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.