Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,265 a month against $1,648 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tsu and in Tokyo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tsu and in Tokyo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Tsu vs $1,648 in Tokyo, rent included.

Tsu $1,265
Tokyo $1,648

A couple spends around $1,972 per month in Tsu vs $2,604 in Tokyo, rent included.

Tsu $1,972
Tokyo $2,604

A family of three spends $2,679 per month in Tsu vs $3,561 in Tokyo, rent included.

Tsu $2,679
Tokyo $3,561

Tsu is about 23% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tsu sits 7% below the global median, while Tokyo is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 ¥1,016

$7.79 ¥1,230

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.78 ¥2,809

$38.57 ¥6,094

-53.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.87 ¥612

$4.99 ¥788

-22.44%

Cappuccino

$2.38 ¥376

$3.58 ¥565

-33.52%

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

$1.18 ¥186

$1.57 ¥249

-24.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥91.9

$0.90 ¥142

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ¥328

$3.75 ¥593

-44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ¥354

$5.22 ¥825

-57.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥242

$1.55 ¥246

-1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ¥200

$1.75 ¥277

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 ¥839

$5.56 ¥879

-4.50%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥326

$2.25 ¥355

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 ¥2,033

$11.31 ¥1,787

13.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 ¥1,515

$6.76 ¥1,068

41.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.36 ¥5,112

$16.83 ¥2,658

92.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ¥580

$4.66 ¥736

-21.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥443

$4.33 ¥683

-35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥661

$5.23 ¥826

-19.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ¥595

$3.33 ¥526

13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 ¥559

$3.00 ¥474

18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.16 ¥183

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥155

$0.83 ¥130

18.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥541

$3.88 ¥613

-11.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 ¥1,276

$9.53 ¥1,506

-15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥321

$1.63 ¥257

24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥240

$2.62 ¥414

-41.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 ¥231

$1.22 ¥193

19.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ¥8,591

$62.3 ¥9,848

-12.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ¥488

$3.19 ¥505

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥496

$3.09 ¥489

1.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.05 ¥4,116

$18.70 ¥2,954

39.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ¥160

$1.11 ¥175

-9.01%

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

$18.7K ¥3.0M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-14.86%

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

$16.8K ¥2.7M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

11.44%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$148 ¥23.4K

-0.70%

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

$23.94 ¥3,783

$22.75 ¥3,594

5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 ¥6,714

$29.86 ¥4,717

42.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,384

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-19.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.54 ¥1,982

$26.19 ¥4,137

-52.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 ¥1,322

$13.22 ¥2,089

-36.69%

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

$317 ¥50.1K

$1,314 ¥207.6K

-75.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,175 ¥975.5K

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-65.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,928

$54.3 ¥8,584

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 ¥3,956

$32.73 ¥5,172

-23.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.94 ¥7,258

$65.4 ¥10.3K

-29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 ¥10.5K

$70.6 ¥11.2K

-6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥85.0K

$1,288 ¥203.4K

-58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥53.0K

$684 ¥108.1K

-51.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ¥172.2K

$2,507 ¥396.1K

-56.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 ¥117.8K

$1,460 ¥230.6K

-48.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,281 ¥676.3K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-53.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,752 ¥276.8K

$4,226 ¥667.6K

-58.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,510 ¥238.6K

$2,994 ¥473.0K

-49.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

2.25

-15.56%

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

Last update for Tsu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tsu

$370 29.2%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 11.9% $44

Accommodation & Living

Tsu

$335 26.5%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 104% $349

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsu

$214 16.9%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 6% $13

Eating Out

Tsu

$114 9%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 40.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Tsu

$84 6.7%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 19% $16

Getting Around

Tsu

$79 6.2%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 8.7% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Tsu

$70 5.5%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 31.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Tsu versus $1,288 in Tokyo. 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 98% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tsu versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Groceries tell a different story – $370 in Tsu vs $326 in Tokyo – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsu

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

Same time as Tsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,241

13,613,660 Capital

💱 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)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tsu vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Tsu, $1,648 in Tokyo – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Tsu and $2,473 in Tokyo. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Tokyo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tsu and $39.00 in Tokyo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tsu, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Tokyo at $1,648. In Tsu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tokyo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,265 in Tsu to $1,648 in Tokyo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Tsu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.