Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,265 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Wakayama

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,265 in Wakayama, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Wakayama $1,265

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $2,078 in Wakayama, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Wakayama $2,078

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,890 in Wakayama, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Wakayama $2,890

Tokyo costs about 33% more than Wakayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Wakayama is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$6.32 ¥998

22.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$32.23 ¥5,089

16.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$5.22 ¥824

-4.02%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$2.61 ¥412

41.00%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.30 ¥205

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.95 ¥150

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$3.12 ¥493

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$1.89 ¥298

204.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.52 ¥240

-1.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.54 ¥243

12.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$4.06 ¥641

42.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.21 ¥348

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$15.58 ¥2,460

-26.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$6.93 ¥1,095

0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$16.97 ¥2,680

-3.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$8.61 ¥1,359

-45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.99 ¥472

-23.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$5.15 ¥813

-17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$7.67 ¥1,211

-29.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$3.91 ¥617

-15.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$4.57 ¥721

-34.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.18 ¥186

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.94 ¥148

-14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.87 ¥611

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$9.65 ¥1,524

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$2.52 ¥398

-32.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$2.11 ¥333

26.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.61 ¥254

-22.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$63.7 ¥10.1K

-1.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.22 ¥509

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$2.93 ¥462

7.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$15.82 ¥2,498

19.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

1.50%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

2.12%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$118 ¥18.6K

24.40%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$23.84 ¥3,764

-2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$31.84 ¥5,027

-5.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$49.43 ¥7,804

16.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$12.61 ¥1,991

6.19%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$685 ¥108.2K

105.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

24.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$50.3 ¥7,942

10.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$35.61 ¥5,622

-8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$60.8 ¥9,593

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$99.4 ¥15.7K

-27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$475 ¥75.0K

179.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$311 ¥49.1K

134.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$1,147 ¥181.0K

128.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$810 ¥127.8K

73.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,633 ¥731.5K

131.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,252 ¥355.6K

124.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

$3,949 ¥623.5K

-23.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.67

34.73%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Wakayama

$311 24.6% 57.3% $418

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Wakayama

$381 30.1% 16.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Wakayama

$174 13.7% 13.2% $26

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Wakayama

$126 10% 21.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Wakayama

$111 8.8% 9.7% $9.8

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Wakayama

$88 7% 2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Wakayama

$75 5.9% 11.4% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $475 in Wakayama. 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 31% higher in Wakayama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $32 in Wakayama. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Tokyo vs $381 in Wakayama – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

362,163

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,265 in Wakayama – Wakayama comes out roughly 25% 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 $1,897 in Wakayama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakayama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $32 in Wakayama. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Tokyo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Wakayama, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Tokyo at $1,688. In Wakayama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wakayama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.