Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Shiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiga: $1,207 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Shiga
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Shiga Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Shiga

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Shiga

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,207 in Shiga, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Shiga $1,207

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,897 in Shiga, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Shiga $1,897

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,588 in Shiga, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Shiga $2,588

Tokyo costs about 40% more than Shiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Shiga is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$6.19 ¥977

24.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,924

$31.73 ¥5,011

18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥791

$4.96 ¥783

1.01%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥581

$2.95 ¥466

24.75%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.31 ¥206

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$0.70 ¥110

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$2.76 ¥436

36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥909

$3.53 ¥558

62.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.28 ¥203

16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.24 ¥196

39.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$3.89 ¥614

49.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.04 ¥322

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$9.45 ¥1,492

21.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$9.19 ¥1,452

-24.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,589

$18.48 ¥2,918

-11.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$3.44 ¥543

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.03 ¥320

12.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$2.04 ¥323

108.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥848

$3.97 ¥626

35.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$1.52 ¥240

116.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.14 ¥180

163.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.36 ¥215

-15.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.87 ¥137

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.97 ¥627

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$9.77 ¥1,543

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.90 ¥301

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$3.13 ¥494

-15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.16 ¥183

7.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,861

$56.2 ¥8,877

11.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.86 ¥610

-18.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$3.20 ¥505

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,997

$21.98 ¥3,472

-13.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.09 ¥173

1.83%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

-0.79%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.52%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$137 ¥21.7K

7.16%

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

$23.17 ¥3,660

$24.58 ¥3,882

-5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,754

$18.76 ¥2,962

60.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,072

$52.0 ¥8,215

10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,182

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,115

$12.55 ¥1,982

6.69%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$697 ¥110.1K

102.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$13.4K ¥2.1M

39.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,738

$48.59 ¥7,674

13.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,122

$30.84 ¥4,870

5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$73.3 ¥11.6K

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$90.1 ¥14.2K

-20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$551 ¥87.0K

141.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.1K

$337 ¥53.2K

116.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.1K

$998 ¥157.6K

162.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.3K

$727 ¥114.8K

92.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,617 ¥729.1K

131.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.2K

$2,022 ¥319.3K

150.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.7K

$1,210 ¥191.2K

149.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.21

1.81%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shiga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Shiga

$337 27.9% 53.8% $392

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Shiga

$294 24.4% 10.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Shiga

$180 15% 9.9% $20

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Shiga

$129 10.7% 19.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Shiga

$109 9.1% 8.3% $8.4

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Shiga

$81 6.7% 6.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Shiga

$77 6.4% 8.4% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $551 in Shiga. 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 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $32 in Shiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $294 – making Shiga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Shiga

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

23,836

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,207 in Shiga – Shiga comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,811 in Shiga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $551 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Kindergarten costs $1,410 per month in Tokyo and $697 in Shiga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,207 in Shiga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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