Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Yamaguchi

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamaguchi: $1,202 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Yamaguchi
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Yamaguchi Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Yamaguchi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Yamaguchi

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,202 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Yamaguchi $1,202

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $1,849 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Yamaguchi $1,849

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,495 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Yamaguchi $2,495

Tokyo costs about 40% more than Yamaguchi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tokyo sits 24% above the global median, while Yamaguchi is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$3.80 ¥600

103.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$31.96 ¥5,047

17.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$5.02 ¥793

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$3.71 ¥586

-0.81%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.05 ¥166

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.75 ¥118

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$3.88 ¥612

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$2.21 ¥349

160.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.55 ¥245

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.83 ¥288

-5.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$6.61 ¥1,044

-12.25%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$2.21 ¥349

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$18.53 ¥2,926

-37.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$5.28 ¥833

31.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$19.00 ¥3,001

-13.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$3.71 ¥586

27.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$1.87 ¥295

21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$2.82 ¥445

51.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$3.26 ¥515

64.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.22 ¥351

48.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.54 ¥401

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.08 ¥171

6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.93 ¥147

-13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$4.04 ¥638

-3.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.20 ¥979

56.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.67 ¥263

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$1.91 ¥302

39.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.48 ¥234

-15.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$50.8 ¥8,016

22.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$4.00 ¥631

-21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$2.42 ¥382

29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$17.73 ¥2,799

7.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.07 ¥169

3.74%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

-0.20%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-0.01%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$214 ¥33.8K

-31.37%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$24.94 ¥3,938

-7.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$33.47 ¥5,284

-10.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$52.7 ¥8,321

8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$12.67 ¥2,000

5.68%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$695 ¥109.8K

102.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$12.1K ¥1.9M

53.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$48.71 ¥7,690

13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$25.97 ¥4,101

24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$65.8 ¥10.4K

-2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$47.76 ¥7,541

50.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$409 ¥64.6K

224.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$256 ¥40.4K

184.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$806 ¥127.2K

225.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$572 ¥90.3K

144.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$4,869 ¥768.8K

119.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$2,007 ¥316.8K

151.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

1.97

14.21%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Yamaguchi

$256 21.3% 64.9% $473

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Yamaguchi

$317 26.4% 3.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Yamaguchi

$272 22.7% 36.1% $72

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Yamaguchi

$121 10.1% 24.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Yamaguchi

$85 7.1% 16% $16

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Yamaguchi

$73 6.1% 15.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Yamaguchi

$78 6.5% 7.3% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo versus $409 in Yamaguchi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $32 in Yamaguchi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $317 – making Yamaguchi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Yamaguchi

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

193,966

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tokyo vs Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tokyo, $1,202 in Yamaguchi – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo and $1,803 in Yamaguchi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yamaguchi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Tokyo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $32 in Yamaguchi. 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 $1,202 in Yamaguchi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

For expats, Yamaguchi is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 40% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.