Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsukuba and Yokohama

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,103 a month against $1,330 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
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Tsukuba Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index

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Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,103

/mo nomad

Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tsukuba and in Yokohama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,104 in Tsukuba versus $1,318 in Yokohama.

Tsukuba $1,104
Yokohama $1,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,754 in Tsukuba versus $2,060 in Yokohama.

Tsukuba $1,754
Yokohama $2,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Tsukuba versus $2,803 in Yokohama.

Tsukuba $2,404
Yokohama $2,803

Living in Tsukuba costs roughly 16% less than in Yokohama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tsukuba 18% lower, Yokohama 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,023

$6.36 ¥1,006

1.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.71 ¥5,168

$41.63 ¥6,578

-21.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ¥777

$5.10 ¥807

-3.53%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ¥427

$3.37 ¥533

-19.88%

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

$0.99 ¥157

$1.08 ¥171

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥124

$0.73 ¥116

8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 ¥345

$2.55 ¥404

-14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ¥500

$3.11 ¥491

1.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 ¥221

$1.38 ¥218

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥269

$1.73 ¥273

-1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ¥484

$3.68 ¥581

-16.58%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥328

$2.08 ¥329

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 ¥1,647

$10.15 ¥1,604

2.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 ¥936

$5.91 ¥934

0.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 ¥2,277

$14.31 ¥2,260

0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 ¥877

$5.67 ¥896

-2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 ¥444

$2.74 ¥432

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 ¥461

$2.95 ¥466

-1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 ¥643

$4.20 ¥664

-3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥396

$2.62 ¥414

-4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$2.64 ¥417

-0.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ¥125

$1.30 ¥205

-39.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥129

$0.81 ¥128

1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 ¥584

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ¥986

$6.38 ¥1,008

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥275

$1.75 ¥277

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥321

$2.07 ¥326

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ¥229

$1.43 ¥226

1.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 ¥8,284

$56.8 ¥8,974

-7.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ¥509

$3.11 ¥491

3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 ¥430

$2.61 ¥413

4.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.84 ¥3,292

$20.20 ¥3,192

3.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.10 ¥174

-3.64%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$21.4K ¥3.4M

-0.60%

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

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$16.0K ¥2.5M

11.48%

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

$132 ¥20.9K

$130 ¥20.6K

1.36%

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

$24.06 ¥3,801

$24.60 ¥3,887

-2.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.01 ¥5,057

$32.16 ¥5,082

-0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ¥8,596

$50.5 ¥7,970

7.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.66 ¥1,841

Cinema Ticket

$12.48 ¥1,972

$12.69 ¥2,005

-1.65%

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

$95.9 ¥15.1K

$642 ¥101.5K

-85.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

2.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.00 ¥7,584

$61.1 ¥9,651

-21.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.46 ¥5,918

$36.79 ¥5,812

1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.06 ¥6,014

$62.2 ¥9,830

-38.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 ¥6,528

$103 ¥16.3K

-59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ¥72.4K

$1,157 ¥182.7K

-60.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ¥44.1K

$449 ¥70.9K

-37.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 ¥171.6K

$2,265 ¥357.8K

-52.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 ¥100.8K

$862 ¥136.2K

-25.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,177 ¥659.9K

$6,363 ¥1.0M

-34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,755 ¥277.2K

$4,327 ¥683.6K

-59.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 ¥224.3K

$2,656 ¥419.6K

-46.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

-24.24%

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

Last update for Tsukuba: October 20, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tsukuba

$283 25.7%

Yokohama

$288 21.7% 1.8% $5

Accommodation & Living

Tsukuba

$279 25.3%

Yokohama

$449 33.7% 60.7% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsukuba

$188 17.1%

Yokohama

$187 14.1% 0.6% $1.1

Eating Out

Tsukuba

$123 11.2%

Yokohama

$133 10% 7.8% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Tsukuba

$79 7.2%

Yokohama

$76 5.7% 4.5% $3.5

Getting Around

Tsukuba

$75 6.8%

Yokohama

$79 5.9% 4.8% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Tsukuba

$74 6.7%

Yokohama

$118 8.9% 59.6% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Tsukuba and $1,153 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 84% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Tsukuba vs $42.00 in Yokohama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $288 per month, with Tsukuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

Same time as Tsukuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,398

3,777,491

💱 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

Tsukuba vs Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsukuba and Yokohama differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,104 vs $1,318 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Yokohama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $466 in Tsukuba versus $1,153 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tsukuba – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Yokohama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,104 per month in Tsukuba versus $1,318 in Yokohama – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,104 in Tsukuba versus $1,318 in Yokohama, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Yokohama. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tsukuba and Yokohama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Yokohama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.