Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ube and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ube: $1,240 a month against $1,686 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Ube
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Ube Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Ube

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,240

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ube 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 Ube and in Tokyo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,240 per month in Ube vs $1,686 in Tokyo, rent included.

Ube $1,240
Tokyo $1,686

A couple spends around $1,925 per month in Ube vs $2,604 in Tokyo, rent included.

Ube $1,925
Tokyo $2,604

A family of three spends $2,610 per month in Ube vs $3,522 in Tokyo, rent included.

Ube $2,610
Tokyo $3,522

Ube is about 26% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ube sits 8% below the global median, while Tokyo is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 ¥1,106

$7.67 ¥1,215

-9.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 ¥5,516

$37.82 ¥5,991

-7.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ¥889

$5.20 ¥824

7.88%

Cappuccino

$3.20 ¥507

$3.69 ¥584

-13.28%

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

$1.14 ¥181

$1.69 ¥268

-32.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.86 ¥135

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ¥320

$3.77 ¥598

-46.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ¥489

$5.67 ¥899

-45.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥240

$1.54 ¥244

-1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥249

$1.69 ¥267

-7.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 ¥760

$5.52 ¥874

-13.04%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥349

$2.29 ¥363

-3.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 ¥1,573

$11.19 ¥1,773

-11.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 ¥1,009

$6.82 ¥1,080

-6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.50 ¥2,455

$17.14 ¥2,715

-9.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ¥832

$4.56 ¥722

15.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥415

$2.20 ¥348

19.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 ¥629

$4.28 ¥678

-7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 ¥707

$5.05 ¥800

-11.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 ¥524

$3.12 ¥494

6.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ¥427

$2.91 ¥460

-7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.20 ¥191

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$0.77 ¥121

6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥640

$4.03 ¥638

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 ¥1,053

$9.65 ¥1,529

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ¥312

$1.67 ¥265

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ¥372

$2.81 ¥446

-16.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥253

$1.24 ¥196

29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥8,948

$63.4 ¥10.0K

-10.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 ¥537

$3.24 ¥514

4.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ¥459

$3.11 ¥492

-6.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.04 ¥3,333

$18.81 ¥2,980

11.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥188

$1.10 ¥174

7.27%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

0.56%

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

$17.2K ¥2.7M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

12.41%

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

$142 ¥22.5K

$159 ¥25.2K

-10.90%

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

$27.14 ¥4,299

$23.73 ¥3,758

14.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.42 ¥5,453

$30.06 ¥4,762

14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ¥9,147

$58.5 ¥9,271

-1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ¥2,207

$25.75 ¥4,079

-45.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 ¥2,049

$13.27 ¥2,102

-2.49%

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

$277 ¥44.0K

$1,423 ¥225.4K

-80.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$23.5K ¥3.7M

-42.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.73 ¥6,769

$54.7 ¥8,666

-21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.68 ¥4,702

$32.56 ¥5,157

-8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 ¥9,502

$64.7 ¥10.2K

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 ¥14.4K

$73.0 ¥11.6K

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥73.2K

$1,308 ¥207.1K

-64.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥52.3K

$714 ¥113.2K

-53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥136.2K

$2,676 ¥423.8K

-67.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ¥102.6K

$1,423 ¥225.4K

-54.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,856 ¥452.4K

$11.1K ¥1.8M

-74.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,757 ¥278.3K

$5,530 ¥875.9K

-68.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,845 ¥450.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

2.25

-19.56%

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

Last update for Ube: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ube

$330 26.6%

Tokyo

$714 42.4% 116% $384

Groceries & Markets

Ube

$306 24.7%

Tokyo

$323 19.2% 5.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ube

$203 16.4%

Tokyo

$213 12.6% 4.7% $9.6

Eating Out

Ube

$135 10.9%

Tokyo

$162 9.6% 19.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ube

$101 8.1%

Tokyo

$101 6% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ube

$84 6.8%

Tokyo

$85 5.1% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Ube

$81 6.5%

Tokyo

$87 5.2% 7.9% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $462 in Ube versus $1,308 in Tokyo. 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 $35 in Ube versus $38 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $323 – making Ube the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ube

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

Same time as Ube

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

162,570

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.61 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.61 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

Ube vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,240 in Ube, $1,686 in Tokyo – Ube comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,859 per month in Ube and $2,529 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ube, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $462 there versus $1,308 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Tokyo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ube and $38 in Tokyo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ube, where all-in costs run around $1,240, than in Tokyo at $1,686. In Ube it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Ube is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.