Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utsunomiya and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Utsunomiya: $1,212 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Utsunomiya
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Utsunomiya Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Utsunomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,212

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,212 per month in Utsunomiya vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

Utsunomiya $1,212
Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $1,948 per month in Utsunomiya vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

Utsunomiya $1,948
Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $2,685 per month in Utsunomiya vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

Utsunomiya $2,685
Tokyo $3,521

Utsunomiya is about 27% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Utsunomiya sits 10% below the global median, while Tokyo is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 ¥965

$7.47 ¥1,180

-18.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.09 ¥2,701

$37.48 ¥5,921

-54.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥745

$4.90 ¥774

-3.67%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥556

$3.62 ¥571

-2.76%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.66 ¥262

-36.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.84 ¥133

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 ¥488

$3.69 ¥582

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥305

$5.24 ¥829

-63.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.49 ¥236

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥271

$1.75 ¥276

-1.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 ¥883

$5.63 ¥889

-0.71%

Eggs

$2.22 ¥350

$2.20 ¥348

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 ¥1,780

$11.19 ¥1,767

0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 ¥1,075

$6.84 ¥1,081

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 ¥2,660

$16.61 ¥2,624

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ¥728

$4.80 ¥759

-3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥372

$2.24 ¥354

4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 ¥693

$4.22 ¥666

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 ¥848

$5.20 ¥821

3.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 ¥539

$3.29 ¥520

3.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 ¥470

$3.05 ¥481

-2.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥190

$1.19 ¥188

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$0.81 ¥129

-6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 ¥623

$3.92 ¥619

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.52 ¥1,504

$9.65 ¥1,524

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥270

$1.63 ¥258

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ¥417

$2.70 ¥426

-2.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.25 ¥197

26.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ¥8,670

$63.9 ¥10.1K

-14.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥484

$3.13 ¥494

-1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 ¥500

$3.21 ¥507

-1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 ¥2,975

$18.55 ¥2,931

1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.05 ¥166

0.95%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

0.55%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

1.23%

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

$146 ¥23.0K

$149 ¥23.5K

-2.00%

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

$21.91 ¥3,461

$21.59 ¥3,412

1.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 ¥4,808

$30.62 ¥4,837

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,234

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-21.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 ¥2,020

$25.58 ¥4,042

-50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 ¥2,029

$12.68 ¥2,004

1.26%

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

$524 ¥82.8K

$1,350 ¥213.3K

-61.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ¥2.9M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

1.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥8,712

$56.0 ¥8,853

-1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.36 ¥5,113

$33.14 ¥5,236

-2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥10.4K

$64.3 ¥10.2K

2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥11.3K

$70.2 ¥11.1K

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ¥80.4K

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-59.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥47.1K

$700 ¥110.6K

-57.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 ¥148.4K

$2,502 ¥395.3K

-62.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ¥126.9K

$1,430 ¥225.9K

-43.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,897 ¥615.7K

$9,428 ¥1.5M

-58.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,781 ¥281.4K

$4,236 ¥669.3K

-57.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥473.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

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

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Utsunomiya

$325 26.8%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 0% $0

Accommodation & Living

Utsunomiya

$298 24.6%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 135% $402

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utsunomiya

$198 16.3%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 1.4% $2.8

Eating Out

Utsunomiya

$132 10.9%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 18.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Utsunomiya

$101 8.3%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Utsunomiya

$80 6.6%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 10% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Utsunomiya

$78 6.4%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 18.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Utsunomiya versus $1,253 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 $17.00 in Utsunomiya versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $325 – making Utsunomiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Utsunomiya

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as Utsunomiya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,217

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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Utsunomiya vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,212 in Utsunomiya, $1,663 in Tokyo – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,818 per month in Utsunomiya and $2,495 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Utsunomiya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% 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 $17.00 in Utsunomiya and $37.00 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 Utsunomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,212, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Utsunomiya 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 $1,212 in Utsunomiya to $1,663 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 Utsunomiya. 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.