Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Shiso

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiso: $1,048 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Shiso

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

A single person spends $1,648 per month in Tokyo vs $1,048 in Shiso, rent included.

Tokyo $1,648
Shiso $1,048

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $1,913 in Shiso, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Shiso $1,913

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Tokyo vs $2,777 in Shiso, rent included.

Tokyo $3,561
Shiso $2,777

Tokyo costs about 57% more than Shiso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Tokyo sits 22% above the global median, while Shiso is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$7.87 ¥1,244

-1.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$68.0 ¥10.7K

-43.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$6.29 ¥993

-20.67%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$3.69 ¥584

-2.98%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$0.83 ¥132

89.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.72 ¥114

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.58 ¥407

45.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.15 ¥497

65.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.52 ¥240

1.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$3.00 ¥474

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$4.87 ¥769

14.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.19 ¥346

2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$10.19 ¥1,609

10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.48 ¥1,023

4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$27.01 ¥4,267

-37.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$5.33 ¥842

-12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.59 ¥409

-12.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$4.06 ¥641

6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$5.97 ¥943

-12.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$4.29 ¥678

-22.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.60 ¥411

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.38 ¥218

-15.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$4.11 ¥650

-5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$7.66 ¥1,211

24.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.92 ¥303

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.22 ¥351

18.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.36 ¥216

-10.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$33.90 ¥5,356

83.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.57 ¥564

-10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.88 ¥455

7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$20.87 ¥3,297

-10.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.28 ¥202

-13.28%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$22.9K ¥3.6M

-3.88%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

-11.29%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$144 ¥22.8K

2.62%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$23.93 ¥3,781

-4.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$13.58 ¥2,146

119.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$36.74 ¥5,805

78.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

$13.71 ¥2,167

91.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$4.59 ¥726

188.02%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$283 ¥44.8K

363.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$13.6K ¥2.1M

31.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$10.06 ¥1,589

440.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$29.87 ¥4,720

9.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$33.76 ¥5,334

93.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$99.7 ¥15.7K

-29.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$470 ¥74.3K

173.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$165 ¥26.0K

315.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$862 ¥136.1K

190.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$659 ¥104.2K

121.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,229 ¥668.1K

117.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,769 ¥279.5K

138.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.78

26.40%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Shiso

$165 15.7% 75.9% $520

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Shiso

$368 35.2% 13.1% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Shiso

$182 17.4% 9.4% $19

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Shiso

$152 14.5% 4.9% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Shiso

$78 7.4% 22.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Shiso

$46 4.4% 50.1% $46

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Shiso

$57 5.5% 33.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Tokyo versus $470 in Shiso. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tokyo versus $68.0 in Shiso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $368 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Shiso

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

36,610

💱 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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Tokyo and $1,572 in Shiso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiso, 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 $1,048 in Shiso. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Shiso. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiso, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Shiso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shiso – 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 Shiso. 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.