Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Saitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,007 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Saitama

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

A single person spends $1,648 per month in Tokyo vs $1,007 in Saitama, rent included.

Tokyo $1,648
Saitama $1,007

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $1,330 in Saitama, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Saitama $1,330

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Tokyo vs $1,653 in Saitama, rent included.

Tokyo $3,561
Saitama $1,653

Tokyo costs about 64% more than Saitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Tokyo sits 22% above the global median, while Saitama is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$5.55 ¥876

40.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.14 ¥4,920

23.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$4.86 ¥768

2.67%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$3.07 ¥486

16.61%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$0.72 ¥114

118.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.65 ¥103

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.46 ¥389

52.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.18 ¥503

64.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.45 ¥229

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.64 ¥260

6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$2.68 ¥423

107.46%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.00 ¥316

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$10.14 ¥1,601

11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$5.45 ¥861

24.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$14.44 ¥2,281

16.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$5.58 ¥882

-16.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.25 ¥355

0.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$2.84 ¥449

52.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$4.19 ¥662

24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.61 ¥412

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.56 ¥247

92.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.25 ¥197

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.80 ¥126

3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.70 ¥585

4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$6.32 ¥999

50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.74 ¥274

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.11 ¥333

24.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$3.45 ¥545

-64.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.11 ¥492

2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.70 ¥427

14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$20.19 ¥3,190

-7.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

0.42%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

4.66%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$131 ¥20.7K

13.06%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$17.62 ¥2,784

29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$31.87 ¥5,036

-6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$61.5 ¥9,721

6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.12 ¥1,757

18.88%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$620 ¥97.9K

111.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

20.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$34.90 ¥5,514

55.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$25.61 ¥4,047

27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$55.5 ¥8,772

17.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$61.9 ¥9,773

14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$414 ¥65.3K

211.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$237 ¥37.4K

189.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,505 ¥237.7K

98.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.06

9.22%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Saitama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Saitama

$237 23.5% 65.4% $448

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Saitama

$275 27.4% 15.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Saitama

$181 17.9% 10.1% $20

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Saitama

$120 11.9% 24.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Saitama

$80 8% 20.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Saitama

$84 8.3% 8.9% $8.2

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Saitama

$30 * 3% 64.6% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Tokyo versus $414 in Saitama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 99% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tokyo versus $31.00 in Saitama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $275 – making Saitama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Saitama

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,182,115

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Tokyo and $1,510 in Saitama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saitama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,648 in Tokyo and $1,007 in Saitama. That's a gap of about 64%.

Kindergarten costs $1,314 per month in Tokyo and $620 in Saitama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saitama, where all-in costs run around $1,007, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Saitama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saitama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Saitama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.