Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Takamatsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Takamatsu: $1,191 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Takamatsu
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Takamatsu Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Takamatsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,191

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Takamatsu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,648 in Tokyo versus $1,191 in Takamatsu.

Tokyo $1,648
Takamatsu $1,191

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Tokyo versus $1,881 in Takamatsu.

Tokyo $2,604
Takamatsu $1,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Tokyo versus $2,571 in Takamatsu.

Tokyo $3,561
Takamatsu $2,571

Living in Tokyo is roughly 38% more expensive than in Takamatsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 22% above, Takamatsu is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$6.20 ¥980

25.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.99 ¥5,054

20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.12 ¥809

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$3.13 ¥495

14.38%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$1.19 ¥189

31.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.80 ¥126

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$2.60 ¥410

44.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.22 ¥508

62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.50 ¥238

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.60 ¥252

9.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$1.76 ¥278

215.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.29 ¥361

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$10.37 ¥1,639

9.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.60 ¥1,043

2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$16.83 ¥2,659

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$3.69 ¥583

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$2.28 ¥360

-0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$2.90 ¥458

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$4.24 ¥671

23.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.48 ¥391

34.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.46 ¥389

21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.27 ¥201

-8.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.79 ¥124

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.67 ¥580

5.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$6.63 ¥1,048

43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.88 ¥298

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.11 ¥333

24.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.46 ¥231

-16.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$53.3 ¥8,414

17.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.18 ¥503

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.79 ¥442

10.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$18.60 ¥2,938

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.06 ¥168

4.72%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

2.40%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-0.19%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$137 ¥21.6K

8.34%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$23.78 ¥3,757

-4.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$30.79 ¥4,865

-3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$51.7 ¥8,161

26.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

$3.11 ¥491

742.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.79 ¥1,862

12.13%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$521 ¥82.3K

152.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$12.7K ¥2.0M

41.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$48.96 ¥7,736

10.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$31.24 ¥4,936

4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$60.1 ¥9,499

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$90.5 ¥14.3K

-22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$529 ¥83.6K

143.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$334 ¥52.8K

104.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,089 ¥172.0K

130.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$735 ¥116.1K

98.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,144 ¥654.7K

122.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,783 ¥281.6K

137.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,761 ¥278.1K

70.05%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Takamatsu: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Takamatsu

$334 28.1% 51.2% $350

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Takamatsu

$280 23.5% 13.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Takamatsu

$191 16.1% 4.7% $9.4

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Takamatsu

$130 10.9% 18.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Takamatsu

$104 8.7% 3.5% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Takamatsu

$75 6.3% 18.2% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Takamatsu

$76 6.4% 11.2% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Tokyo and $529 in Takamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 70% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tokyo vs $32.00 in Takamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $280 per month, with Takamatsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Takamatsu

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

426,514

💱 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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Tokyo Takamatsu 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Takamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo and Takamatsu differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,648 vs $1,191 including rent). Takamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% higher in Tokyo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,288 in Tokyo versus $529 in Takamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Takamatsu runs roughly 17% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,314 in Tokyo versus $521 in Takamatsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,191 in Takamatsu versus $1,648 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Takamatsu but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Takamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Takamatsu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Takamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.