Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Yokohama

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,265 a month against $1,340 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yokohama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Wakayama, Japan
Yokohama, Japan
Wakayama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,265
/mo nomad
Yokohama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Wakayama vs $1,340 in Yokohama, rent included.

  • Wakayama $1,265
  • Yokohama $1,340

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Wakayama vs $2,054 in Yokohama, rent included.

  • Wakayama $2,078
  • Yokohama $2,054

A family of three spends $2,890 per month in Wakayama vs $2,768 in Yokohama, rent included.

  • Wakayama $2,890
  • Yokohama $2,768

Wakayama is about 6% cheaper than Yokohama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wakayama and Yokohama are more affordable than the global median – Wakayama 7% lower, Yokohama 2% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.32 ¥998
$6.45 ¥1,019
-2.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.23 ¥5,089
$40.72 ¥6,429
-20.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.22 ¥824
$5.19 ¥820
0.58%
Cappuccino
$2.61 ¥412
$3.41 ¥538
-23.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 ¥205
$1.06 ¥167
22.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 ¥150
$0.74 ¥116
28.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.12 ¥493
$2.60 ¥410
20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 ¥298
$3.09 ¥489
-38.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ¥240
$1.46 ¥231
4.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 ¥243
$1.75 ¥277
-12.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.06 ¥641
$3.59 ¥567
13.09%
Eggs
$2.21 ¥348
$2.03 ¥320
8.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.58 ¥2,460
$10.26 ¥1,620
51.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.93 ¥1,095
$6.14 ¥970
12.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 ¥2,680
$14.66 ¥2,314
15.76%
Apples (1kg)
$8.61 ¥1,359
$5.54 ¥875
55.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.99 ¥472
$2.76 ¥436
8.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.15 ¥813
$2.96 ¥467
73.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.67 ¥1,211
$4.10 ¥647
87.07%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ¥617
$2.52 ¥398
55.16%
Onion (1kg)
$4.57 ¥721
$2.58 ¥407
77.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 ¥186
$1.30 ¥205
-9.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 ¥148
$0.77 ¥121
22.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 ¥611
$3.90 ¥616
-0.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.65 ¥1,524
$6.30 ¥995
53.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 ¥398
$1.82 ¥288
38.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 ¥333
$2.09 ¥331
0.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.61 ¥254
$1.37 ¥217
17.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.7 ¥10.1K
$62.4 ¥9,856
2.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 ¥509
$3.11 ¥491
3.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.93 ¥462
$2.66 ¥420
10.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.82 ¥2,498
$20.61 ¥3,254
-23.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ¥174
$1.07 ¥169
2.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K ¥3.5M
$21.6K ¥3.4M
2.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$16.1K ¥2.5M
-6.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 ¥18.6K
$130 ¥20.6K
-9.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.84 ¥3,764
$24.74 ¥3,906
-3.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.84 ¥5,027
$32.65 ¥5,155
-2.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.43 ¥7,804
$48.93 ¥7,725
1.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.78 ¥1,860
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.61 ¥1,991
$13.09 ¥2,067
-3.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$685 ¥108.2K
$805 ¥127.1K
-14.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$15.0K ¥2.4M
0.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.3 ¥7,942
$61.7 ¥9,733
-18.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.61 ¥5,622
$37.72 ¥5,956
-5.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.8 ¥9,593
$62.6 ¥9,887
-2.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.4 ¥15.7K
$102 ¥16.1K
-2.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$475 ¥75.0K
$1,097 ¥173.1K
-56.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$311 ¥49.1K
$450 ¥71.0K
-30.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ¥181.0K
$1,796 ¥283.6K
-36.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$810 ¥127.8K
$805 ¥127.0K
0.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,633 ¥731.5K
$5,778 ¥912.2K
-19.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,252 ¥355.6K
$4,066 ¥641.9K
-44.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wakayama
Yokohama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,949 ¥623.5K
$2,669 ¥421.4K
47.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.67
2.64
-36.74%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Wakayama
$381
Yokohama
$290 23.9% $91
Accommodation & Living
Wakayama
$311
Yokohama
$450 44.5% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wakayama
$174
Yokohama
$188 8% $14
Eating Out
Wakayama
$126
Yokohama
$134 6.8% $8.6
Clothing & Footwear
Wakayama
$111
Yokohama
$119 7.2% $8
Getting Around
Wakayama
$88
Yokohama
$84 4.2% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Wakayama
$75
Yokohama
$75 0.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Wakayama versus $1,097 in Yokohama. 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 48% 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 $41 in Yokohama. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Wakayama vs $290 in Yokohama – so Yokohama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Wakayama
🇯🇵 Yokohama
🕒 Local time
08:03 8:03 AM
08:03 8:03 AM
Same time as Wakayama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
362,163
3,777,491
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wakayama Yokohama 430 km
From you
  • Wakayama
  • Yokohama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Wakayama vs Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wakayama cheaper than Yokohama?
Yes – Yokohama is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,897 per month in Wakayama and $2,010 in Yokohama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakayama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $1,097 in Yokohama.
What are total monthly expenses in Wakayama and in Yokohama?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Wakayama and $1,340 in Yokohama. That makes Wakayama about 6% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $685 per month in Wakayama and $805 in Yokohama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Wakayama or Yokohama?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,265 in Wakayama and $1,340 in Yokohama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Wakayama or Yokohama more family-friendly?
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.

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