Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Tsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,287 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Tsu

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,287 in Tsu, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Tsu $1,287

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,999 in Tsu, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Tsu $1,999

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,710 in Tsu, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Tsu $2,710

Tokyo costs about 31% more than Tsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Tsu is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$6.22 ¥982

24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,924

$17.49 ¥2,763

114.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥791

$3.91 ¥617

28.13%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥581

$2.34 ¥369

57.26%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.14 ¥181

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$0.58 ¥90.9

46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$2.10 ¥331

79.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥909

$2.35 ¥372

144.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.58 ¥249

-5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.28 ¥203

35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$5.63 ¥889

3.02%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.02 ¥319

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$12.56 ¥1,984

-8.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$9.77 ¥1,543

-28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,589

$32.52 ¥5,135

-49.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$3.68 ¥581

28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.29 ¥362

-0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$6.41 ¥1,012

-33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥848

$4.17 ¥659

28.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$3.84 ¥607

-14.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$3.47 ¥548

-13.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.30 ¥205

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$1.03 ¥163

-22.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.53 ¥558

10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$8.37 ¥1,322

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$2.04 ¥323

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$1.47 ¥233

80.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.48 ¥234

-15.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,861

$56.5 ¥8,926

10.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.23 ¥509

-2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$3.22 ¥509

-2.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,997

$26.97 ¥4,259

-29.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.04 ¥164

6.73%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$19.0K ¥3.0M

18.47%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$16.7K ¥2.6M

-8.33%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$145 ¥22.8K

1.58%

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

$23.17 ¥3,660

$24.21 ¥3,824

-4.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,754

$43.47 ¥6,866

-30.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,072

$51.3 ¥8,107

11.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,182

$12.93 ¥2,042

104.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,115

$8.34 ¥1,317

60.55%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$322 ¥50.8K

338.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$6,217 ¥981.8K

199.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,738

$49.15 ¥7,762

12.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,122

$25.83 ¥4,079

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$46.87 ¥7,403

37.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$65.4 ¥10.3K

10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$544 ¥85.9K

144.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.1K

$342 ¥53.9K

113.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.1K

$1,021 ¥161.2K

156.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.3K

$738 ¥116.6K

89.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,287 ¥677.0K

149.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.2K

$2,268 ¥358.3K

122.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.7K

$1,511 ¥238.6K

99.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.9

18.42%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tsu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Tsu

$342 26.5% 53.1% $387

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Tsu

$388 30.1% 18.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Tsu

$212 16.5% 6.1% $12

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Tsu

$112 8.7% 30.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Tsu

$84 6.5% 16.5% $17

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Tsu

$82 6.4% 5.2% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Tsu

$68 5.3% 19.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $544 in Tsu. 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 100% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $17 in Tsu. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Tokyo vs $388 in Tsu – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Tsu

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

279,241

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,287 in Tsu – Tsu comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,931 in Tsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $544 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Tokyo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $17 in Tsu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,287 in Tsu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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