Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,265 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Wakayama vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Wakayama $1,265
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Wakayama vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Wakayama $2,078
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,890 per month in Wakayama vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Wakayama $2,890
Tokyo $3,489

Wakayama is about 25% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Wakayama sits 7% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.32 ¥998

$7.72 ¥1,220

-18.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 ¥5,089

$37.51 ¥5,923

-14.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥824

$5.01 ¥790

4.19%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ¥412

$3.68 ¥580

-29.08%

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

$1.30 ¥205

$1.51 ¥239

-13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥150

$0.85 ¥133

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 ¥493

$3.77 ¥596

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥298

$5.75 ¥908

-67.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.49 ¥236

2.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.73 ¥273

-10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.06 ¥641

$5.80 ¥916

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥348

$2.25 ¥355

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 ¥2,460

$11.50 ¥1,815

35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 ¥1,095

$6.96 ¥1,099

-0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 ¥2,680

$16.39 ¥2,588

3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$8.61 ¥1,359

$4.73 ¥747

82.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 ¥472

$2.28 ¥360

31.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥813

$4.26 ¥673

20.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.67 ¥1,211

$5.37 ¥847

42.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ¥617

$3.29 ¥520

18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.57 ¥721

$3.00 ¥474

52.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥186

$1.15 ¥181

2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$0.80 ¥126

17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.89 ¥615

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,524

$9.72 ¥1,535

-0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ¥398

$1.70 ¥269

48.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥333

$2.66 ¥420

-20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥254

$1.25 ¥197

28.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 ¥10.1K

$62.4 ¥9,858

2.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ¥509

$3.15 ¥497

2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥462

$3.14 ¥495

-6.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 ¥2,498

$18.98 ¥2,996

-16.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.11 ¥175

-0.90%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$22.5K ¥3.6M

-1.48%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-2.08%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$147 ¥23.2K

-19.61%

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

$23.84 ¥3,764

$23.17 ¥3,659

2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.84 ¥5,027

$30.10 ¥4,752

5.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.43 ¥7,804

$57.4 ¥9,069

-13.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 ¥1,991

$13.39 ¥2,114

-5.83%

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

$685 ¥108.2K

$1,410 ¥222.7K

-51.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-19.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 ¥7,942

$55.3 ¥8,735

-9.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.61 ¥5,622

$32.43 ¥5,120

9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 ¥9,593

$64.4 ¥10.2K

-5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 ¥15.7K

$72.1 ¥11.4K

37.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ¥75.0K

$1,329 ¥209.9K

-64.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ¥49.1K

$729 ¥115.0K

-57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ¥181.0K

$2,622 ¥414.0K

-56.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 ¥127.8K

$1,401 ¥221.2K

-42.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,633 ¥731.5K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-56.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,252 ¥355.6K

$5,054 ¥798.0K

-55.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,949 ¥623.5K

$3,019 ¥476.6K

30.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

2.25

-25.78%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$381 30.1%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 14% $53

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$311 24.6%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 134% $418

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$174 13.7%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 15.2% $26

Eating Out

Wakayama

$126 10%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 27.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$111 8.8%

Tokyo

$101 6% 8.9% $9.8

Getting Around

Wakayama

$88 7%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$75 5.9%

Tokyo

$84 5% 12.8% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Wakayama versus $1,329 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 31% higher in Wakayama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Wakayama versus $38 in Tokyo. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Wakayama vs $327 in Tokyo – so Tokyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

Same time as Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

13,613,660 Capital

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wakayama vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Wakayama, $1,688 in Tokyo – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,897 per month in Wakayama and $2,533 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakayama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Wakayama and $38 in Tokyo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Tokyo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Wakayama, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Tokyo at $1,688. In Wakayama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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