Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Sendai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sendai: $1,176 a month against $1,686 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Sendai
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Sendai Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,686

/mo nomad

Sendai

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Sendai

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

A single person spends $1,686 per month in Tokyo vs $1,176 in Sendai, rent included.

Tokyo $1,686
Sendai $1,176

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $1,851 in Sendai, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Sendai $1,851

A family of three spends $3,522 per month in Tokyo vs $2,527 in Sendai, rent included.

Tokyo $3,522
Sendai $2,527

Tokyo costs about 43% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Tokyo sits 25% above the global median, while Sendai is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ¥1,214

$6.41 ¥1,014

19.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.82 ¥5,985

$34.38 ¥5,440

10.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥823

$4.72 ¥747

10.17%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥583

$3.63 ¥575

1.65%

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

$1.69 ¥268

$1.02 ¥162

65.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.86 ¥136

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥597

$1.86 ¥294

102.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 ¥898

$3.08 ¥487

84.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥244

$1.41 ¥223

9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥267

$1.49 ¥236

13.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 ¥874

$6.79 ¥1,075

-18.70%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥362

$2.10 ¥332

9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,771

$10.84 ¥1,716

3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 ¥1,078

$11.60 ¥1,835

-41.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 ¥2,712

$8.85 ¥1,400

93.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ¥721

$3.42 ¥541

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ¥348

$2.21 ¥350

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 ¥677

$4.64 ¥734

-7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 ¥799

$3.15 ¥499

60.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 ¥494

$2.51 ¥397

24.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 ¥460

$2.27 ¥359

28.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥190

$1.40 ¥222

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥121

$1.24 ¥196

-37.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 ¥638

$4.50 ¥712

-10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,527

$6.79 ¥1,075

42.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥265

$1.64 ¥259

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ¥445

$2.76 ¥437

1.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.51 ¥239

-17.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 ¥10.0K

$37.94 ¥6,003

67.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥513

$5.35 ¥846

-39.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 ¥492

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.81 ¥2,977

$18.36 ¥2,905

2.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.11 ¥176

-0.90%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$16.0K ¥2.5M

41.47%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$25.5K ¥4.0M

-39.85%

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

$159 ¥25.2K

$140 ¥22.2K

13.66%

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

$23.73 ¥3,754

$30.45 ¥4,819

-22.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 ¥4,757

$35.00 ¥5,539

-14.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 ¥9,261

$45.12 ¥7,140

29.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.75 ¥4,075

$12.64 ¥2,001

103.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 ¥2,100

$10.11 ¥1,599

31.26%

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

$1,423 ¥225.2K

$225 ¥35.6K

533.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K ¥3.7M

$3,760 ¥595.0K

526.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥8,657

$57.2 ¥9,045

-4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 ¥5,152

$33.55 ¥5,309

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$35.61 ¥5,636

81.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$53.4 ¥8,448

36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ¥206.9K

$581 ¥91.9K

125.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ¥113.0K

$336 ¥53.2K

112.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 ¥423.4K

$683 ¥108.1K

291.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 ¥225.2K

$728 ¥115.2K

95.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K ¥1.8M

$2,713 ¥429.2K

307.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 ¥875.0K

$1,403 ¥221.9K

294.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,845 ¥450.2K

$975 ¥154.3K

191.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.73

-17.58%

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

Last update for Tokyo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sendai: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$714 42.4%

Sendai

$336 28.6% 52.9% $378

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$323 19.2%

Sendai

$306 26% 5.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$213 12.6%

Sendai

$206 17.5% 3.5% $7.5

Eating Out

Tokyo

$162 9.6%

Sendai

$132 11.2% 18.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Sendai

$81 6.9% 20.1% $20

Getting Around

Tokyo

$87 5.2%

Sendai

$49 * 4.2% 43.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$85 5.1%

Sendai

$65 5.6% 23.2% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,308 in Tokyo versus $581 in Sendai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tokyo are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $34 in Sendai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $306 – making Sendai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Sendai

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,082,159

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 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 Sendai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo costs about 43% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,529 per month in Tokyo and $1,763 in Sendai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sendai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $581 there versus $1,308 in Tokyo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $34 in Sendai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,686 in Tokyo and $1,176 in Sendai. That makes Sendai about 30% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,686 in Tokyo and $1,176 in Sendai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sendai costs $1,176 versus $1,686 in Tokyo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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