Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Tokushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokushima: $1,274 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tokushima
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Tokushima Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Tokushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Tokushima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,648 in Tokyo versus $1,274 in Tokushima.

Tokyo $1,648
Tokushima $1,274

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Tokyo versus $2,039 in Tokushima.

Tokyo $2,604
Tokushima $2,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Tokyo versus $2,804 in Tokushima.

Tokyo $3,561
Tokushima $2,804

Living in Tokyo is roughly 29% more expensive than in Tokushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 22% above, Tokushima is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ¥1,230

$7.05 ¥1,115

10.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 ¥6,094

$31.38 ¥4,958

22.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥788

$5.08 ¥803

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ¥565

$2.44 ¥386

46.72%

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

$1.57 ¥249

$1.29 ¥204

21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.81 ¥128

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$3.13 ¥495

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 ¥825

$3.09 ¥489

68.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥246

$1.49 ¥235

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.50 ¥237

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 ¥879

$4.05 ¥641

37.28%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.21 ¥349

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 ¥1,787

$15.82 ¥2,499

-28.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.99 ¥1,105

-3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 ¥2,658

$17.41 ¥2,751

-3.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ¥736

$8.19 ¥1,293

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$3.02 ¥477

-24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥683

$5.08 ¥803

-14.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 ¥826

$6.12 ¥967

-14.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$3.72 ¥588

-10.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$3.79 ¥599

-20.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.14 ¥179

1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.84 ¥132

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.96 ¥626

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ¥1,506

$9.68 ¥1,530

-1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$2.50 ¥395

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.07 ¥327

26.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.52 ¥240

-19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 ¥9,848

$53.7 ¥8,487

16.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.21 ¥507

-0.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.90 ¥459

6.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 ¥2,954

$31.93 ¥5,045

-41.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

0.95%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

1.08%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$114 ¥18.1K

29.65%

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

$22.75 ¥3,594

$23.74 ¥3,750

-4.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ¥4,717

$31.53 ¥4,981

-5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ¥10.4K

$60.5 ¥9,559

8.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 ¥4,137

$24.82 ¥3,922

5.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,089

$11.34 ¥1,792

16.58%

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

$1,314 ¥207.6K

$578 ¥91.3K

127.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

20.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ¥8,584

$49.24 ¥7,779

10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 ¥5,172

$35.51 ¥5,610

-7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$60.6 ¥9,579

7.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥11.2K

$98.6 ¥15.6K

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ¥203.4K

$522 ¥82.5K

146.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 ¥108.1K

$334 ¥52.8K

104.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 ¥396.1K

$1,083 ¥171.1K

131.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 ¥230.6K

$731 ¥115.4K

99.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,204 ¥1.5M

$4,217 ¥666.3K

118.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$1,734 ¥274.0K

143.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 ¥473.0K

$1,386 ¥219.0K

116.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.02

11.39%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tokushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$684 41.5%

Tokushima

$334 26.2% 51.2% $350

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$326 19.8%

Tokushima

$369 29% 13.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.2%

Tokushima

$170 13.3% 15.6% $31

Eating Out

Tokyo

$159 9.7%

Tokushima

$131 10.3% 17.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$100 6.1%

Tokushima

$110 8.6% 9.4% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.6%

Tokushima

$83 6.5% 9.6% $8.8

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Tokushima

$78 6.1% 9.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Tokyo and $522 in Tokushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 116% 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 $31.00 in Tokushima. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $369, with Tokyo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Tokushima

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

252,391

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Tokushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tokushima wins on cost – living expenses run 29% 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 116% 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 $522 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 16% 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 $578 in Tokushima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,274 in Tokushima versus $1,648 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 $1,274 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 29% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.