Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,111 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
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Tsukuba Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Tsukuba

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,111 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Tsukuba $1,111

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,773 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Tsukuba $1,773

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,434 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Tsukuba $2,434

Tokyo costs about 52% more than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Tsukuba is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,217

$6.49 ¥1,023

18.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,909

$33.75 ¥5,316

11.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥788

$5.13 ¥808

-2.34%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥579

$2.63 ¥415

39.92%

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

$1.51 ¥238

$0.96 ¥151

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.80 ¥126

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥594

$2.11 ¥332

78.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥906

$3.13 ¥493

83.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.39 ¥219

7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.67 ¥264

3.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥913

$3.25 ¥511

78.46%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥354

$2.09 ¥329

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,811

$10.46 ¥1,648

9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,096

$6.03 ¥949

15.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,582

$14.40 ¥2,268

13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥745

$5.63 ¥887

-15.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.75 ¥433

-17.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥671

$2.83 ¥445

50.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥845

$4.23 ¥666

26.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$2.52 ¥396

30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥473

$2.67 ¥420

12.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$0.82 ¥129

40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.76 ¥119

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.71 ¥584

4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,531

$6.52 ¥1,027

49.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥268

$1.74 ¥274

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥419

$2.08 ¥327

27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.43 ¥225

-12.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,835

$55.8 ¥8,788

11.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥495

$3.20 ¥503

-1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥494

$2.76 ¥435

13.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,989

$20.77 ¥3,271

-8.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.11 ¥174

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

$22.5K ¥3.5M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

1.25%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.7K ¥2.5M

-2.03%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$131 ¥20.7K

11.75%

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

$23.17 ¥3,650

$24.64 ¥3,881

-5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,741

$31.74 ¥5,000

-5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,048

$56.0 ¥8,827

2.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,171

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,109

$13.27 ¥2,091

0.90%

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

$1,410 ¥222.1K

$96.3 ¥15.2K

1363.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

23.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,715

$47.58 ¥7,494

16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,108

$36.56 ¥5,759

-11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.1K

$38.69 ¥6,095

66.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$41.36 ¥6,515

74.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.4K

$465 ¥73.3K

185.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥114.8K

$280 ¥44.2K

159.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥413.1K

$1,086 ¥171.1K

141.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥220.7K

$645 ¥101.6K

117.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,791 ¥754.7K

123.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥796.1K

$2,181 ¥343.5K

131.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥475.5K

$1,458 ¥229.7K

106.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

12.50%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Tsukuba

$280 25.3% 61.5% $448

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Tsukuba

$285 25.6% 13% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Tsukuba

$188 16.9% 6.2% $12

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Tsukuba

$123 11.1% 23.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Tsukuba

$74 6.7% 26.8% $27

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Tsukuba

$79 7.1% 9% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Tsukuba

$83 7.4% 1.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $465 in Tsukuba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tokyo are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $34 in Tsukuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $285 – making Tsukuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

230,398

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,111 in Tsukuba – Tsukuba comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,666 in Tsukuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsukuba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $465 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $34 in Tsukuba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tokyo and $1,111 in Tsukuba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tokyo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,111 in Tsukuba to $1,688 in Tokyo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Tsukuba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.