Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokyo: $1,635 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Seoul

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

A single person spends $1,635 per month in Tokyo vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Tokyo $1,635
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $2,608 per month in Tokyo vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Tokyo $2,608
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $3,581 per month in Tokyo vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Tokyo $3,581
Seoul $3,872

Tokyo is about 10% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tokyo and Seoul sit above the global median – Tokyo by 22%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ¥1,208

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.51 ¥6,094

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-42.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ¥800

$7.42 ₩9,941

-31.94%

Cappuccino

$3.61 ¥571

$4.08 ₩5,470

-11.52%

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

$1.62 ¥257

$1.60 ₩2,141

1.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.80 ₩1,078

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥584

$3.65 ₩4,886

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥835

$5.94 ₩7,956

-11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥243

$2.05 ₩2,742

-25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥278

$3.08 ₩4,130

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 ¥884

$4.21 ₩5,646

32.78%

Eggs

$2.24 ¥354

$3.57 ₩4,784

-37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ¥1,686

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 ¥1,045

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.74 ¥2,649

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-36.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 ¥769

$7.42 ₩9,946

-34.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥371

$3.53 ₩4,732

-33.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥685

$5.87 ₩7,866

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 ¥836

$6.37 ₩8,534

-17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 ¥540

$3.75 ₩5,028

-9.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ¥505

$2.49 ₩3,337

28.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥187

$2.92 ₩3,911

-59.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥131

$1.15 ₩1,542

-27.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥607

$3.29 ₩4,408

16.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,467

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-49.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥260

$2.28 ₩3,057

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥434

$3.28 ₩4,398

-16.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥205

$1.14 ₩1,526

13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 ¥9,830

$45.47 ₩60.9K

36.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥488

$3.48 ₩4,663

-11.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥508

$0.60 ₩803

435.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.41 ¥2,913

$8.70 ₩11.7K

111.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.50 ₩2,004

-28.67%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-23.86%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-45.77%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$209 ₩279.9K

-29.33%

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

$21.97 ¥3,476

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-37.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.43 ¥4,815

$21.18 ₩28.4K

43.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$57.3 ₩76.8K

13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 ¥4,044

$15.89 ₩21.3K

60.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 ¥2,037

$11.33 ₩15.2K

13.59%

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

$1,360 ¥215.2K

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-28.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥2.9M

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-18.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ¥8,943

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-4.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 ¥5,248

$32.12 ₩43.0K

3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$70.1 ₩94.0K

-8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ¥11.4K

$82.5 ₩110.5K

-12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ¥201.8K

$885 ₩1.2M

44.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 ¥111.1K

$624 ₩835.5K

12.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 ¥406.0K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

2.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ¥234.3K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

16.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,152 ¥1.4M

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-69.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,191 ¥663.2K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-64.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥474.4K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-17.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

4.08

-44.85%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$702 42.2%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 11.2% $79

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$325 19.5%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 47.4% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 12%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 32.6% $65

Eating Out

Tokyo

$158 9.5%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 16% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$102 6.1%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 7.9% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$91 5.5%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 11.9% $11

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 34.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,275 in Tokyo versus $885 in Seoul. 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 22% higher in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $479 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 11% more than Tokyo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,453 per month in Tokyo and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 37% less in Tokyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,360 per month in Tokyo and $1,902 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tokyo, where all-in costs run around $1,635, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Tokyo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tokyo costs $1,635 versus $1,822 in Seoul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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