Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Shizuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,139 a month against $1,686 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,686

/mo nomad

Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Shizuoka

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

A single person spends $1,686 per month in Tokyo vs $1,139 in Shizuoka, rent included.

Tokyo $1,686
Shizuoka $1,139

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $1,788 in Shizuoka, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Shizuoka $1,788

A family of three spends $3,522 per month in Tokyo vs $2,437 in Shizuoka, rent included.

Tokyo $3,522
Shizuoka $2,437

Tokyo costs about 48% more than Shizuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 25% above the global median, while Shizuoka is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ¥1,214

$6.31 ¥999

21.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.82 ¥5,989

$32.15 ¥5,090

17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥823

$5.00 ¥792

4.00%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥584

$2.96 ¥469

24.66%

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

$1.69 ¥268

$0.99 ¥157

70.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.72 ¥113

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥598

$2.75 ¥436

37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 ¥899

$3.71 ¥588

52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥244

$1.44 ¥228

6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥267

$1.25 ¥197

35.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 ¥874

$4.40 ¥697

25.45%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥363

$1.77 ¥281

29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,772

$6.81 ¥1,078

64.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 ¥1,079

$5.26 ¥833

29.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 ¥2,714

$14.22 ¥2,251

20.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ¥722

$3.46 ¥549

31.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ¥348

$1.92 ¥304

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 ¥678

$3.46 ¥548

23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 ¥800

$3.12 ¥495

61.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 ¥494

$1.52 ¥240

105.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 ¥460

$1.14 ¥181

155.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥190

$1.12 ¥178

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥121

$0.81 ¥129

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 ¥638

$3.73 ¥591

8.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,528

$8.64 ¥1,369

11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥265

$1.44 ¥228

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ¥445

$3.09 ¥489

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.82 ¥288

-31.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 ¥10.0K

$56.8 ¥8,998

11.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥513

$3.44 ¥545

-5.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 ¥492

$1.92 ¥304

61.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.81 ¥2,979

$19.32 ¥3,059

-2.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.05 ¥166

4.76%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$22.6K ¥3.6M

0.29%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

2.85%

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

$159 ¥25.2K

$139 ¥22.1K

14.25%

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

$23.73 ¥3,757

$15.66 ¥2,479

51.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 ¥4,760

$31.13 ¥4,930

-3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 ¥9,268

$52.0 ¥8,237

12.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.75 ¥4,078

$10.71 ¥1,697

140.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 ¥2,101

$12.00 ¥1,901

10.58%

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

$1,423 ¥225.4K

$318 ¥50.3K

348.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K ¥3.7M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

78.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥8,663

$18.47 ¥2,924

196.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 ¥5,155

$21.64 ¥3,426

50.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$61.9 ¥9,794

4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 ¥11.6K

$91.4 ¥14.5K

-20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ¥207.1K

$336 ¥53.2K

288.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ¥113.1K

$333 ¥52.7K

114.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 ¥423.7K

$1,001 ¥158.6K

167.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 ¥225.4K

$725 ¥114.8K

96.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K ¥1.8M

$4,357 ¥689.9K

153.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 ¥875.6K

$2,349 ¥371.9K

135.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,845 ¥450.5K

$2,197 ¥347.9K

29.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

125.00%

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

Last update for Tokyo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$714 42.4%

Shizuoka

$333 29.2% 53.4% $382

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$323 19.2%

Shizuoka

$251 22% 22.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$213 12.6%

Shizuoka

$186 16.3% 12.6% $27

Eating Out

Tokyo

$162 9.6%

Shizuoka

$129 11.3% 20.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Shizuoka

$87 7.6% 14% $14

Getting Around

Tokyo

$87 5.2%

Shizuoka

$77 6.8% 11.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$85 5.1%

Shizuoka

$76 6.7% 10.6% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,308 in Tokyo versus $336 in Shizuoka. 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 29% 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 $38 in Tokyo versus $32 in Shizuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $251 – making Shizuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

701,803

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,529 per month in Tokyo and $1,708 in Shizuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shizuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $1,308 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $32 in Shizuoka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shizuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,139, than in Tokyo at $1,686. In Shizuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shizuoka – 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 Shizuoka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.