Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Tokushima Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Tokushima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Tokyo versus $1,238 in Tokushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Tokyo versus $2,016 in Tokushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,517 in Tokyo versus $2,793 in Tokushima.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 34% more expensive than in Tokushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 20% above, Tokushima is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.31 ¥1,142

$6.83 ¥1,067

7.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 ¥5,798

$30.72 ¥4,800

20.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥777

$4.93 ¥770

1.01%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ¥570

$2.46 ¥385

48.37%

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

$1.69 ¥263

$1.29 ¥202

31.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥144

$0.80 ¥126

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ¥570

$3.05 ¥476

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 ¥791

$3.14 ¥491

61.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥243

$1.51 ¥236

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥269

$1.47 ¥230

17.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.92 ¥925

$4.18 ¥653

41.63%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥349

$2.12 ¥331

5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 ¥1,775

$15.73 ¥2,458

-27.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 ¥1,199

$7.09 ¥1,107

8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 ¥3,142

$16.73 ¥2,614

20.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 ¥809

$8.13 ¥1,270

-36.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ¥393

$3.01 ¥470

-16.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ¥725

$4.82 ¥753

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 ¥923

$6.30 ¥984

-6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 ¥553

$3.70 ¥579

-4.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ¥538

$3.82 ¥596

-9.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ¥190

$1.12 ¥175

8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥134

$0.84 ¥131

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥621

$3.81 ¥595

4.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,489

$9.60 ¥1,500

-0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥278

$2.58 ¥404

-31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ¥474

$2.09 ¥326

44.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 ¥192

$1.50 ¥234

-18.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 ¥10.6K

$55.3 ¥8,641

22.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 ¥494

$3.08 ¥481

2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 ¥475

$2.76 ¥431

10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.14 ¥2,834

$31.60 ¥4,937

-42.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥162

$1.05 ¥165

-0.95%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

0.26%

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

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

-1.20%

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

$157 ¥24.5K

$114 ¥17.9K

37.21%

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

$22.07 ¥3,448

$22.70 ¥3,546

-2.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 ¥4,720

$30.80 ¥4,811

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 ¥9,770

$58.7 ¥9,172

6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 ¥3,955

$25.52 ¥3,987

-0.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,921

$11.18 ¥1,747

10.02%

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

$1,300 ¥203.0K

$567 ¥88.5K

129.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥2.8M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

19.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ¥8,000

$49.54 ¥7,739

3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 ¥5,054

$35.52 ¥5,550

-8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ¥9,777

$59.3 ¥9,268

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 ¥11.6K

$96.7 ¥15.1K

-22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 ¥192.2K

$466 ¥72.9K

163.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥103.0K

$326 ¥50.9K

102.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 ¥369.9K

$1,062 ¥166.0K

122.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 ¥212.1K

$718 ¥112.2K

89.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 ¥1.4M

$4,277 ¥668.1K

104.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 ¥616.2K

$1,909 ¥298.2K

106.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,843 ¥444.2K

$1,420 ¥221.9K

100.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.93

1.66

16.27%

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

Last update for Tokyo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tokushima: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,230 in Tokyo and $466 in Tokushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 100% 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: $37.00 in Tokyo vs $31.00 in Tokushima. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $367, with Tokyo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tokushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokushima wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Tokyo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tokushima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $1,230 in Tokyo versus $466 in Tokushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tokushima runs roughly 22% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,300 in Tokyo versus $567 in Tokushima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,238 in Tokushima versus $1,653 in Tokyo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tokushima but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Tokushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tokushima delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,238 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tokushima hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Tokushima 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 Tokushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.