Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamaguchi and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamaguchi: $1,202 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Yamaguchi
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Yamaguchi Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Yamaguchi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,202

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Yamaguchi vs $1,688 in Tokyo, rent included.

Yamaguchi $1,202
Tokyo $1,688

A couple spends around $1,849 per month in Yamaguchi vs $2,588 in Tokyo, rent included.

Yamaguchi $1,849
Tokyo $2,588

A family of three spends $2,495 per month in Yamaguchi vs $3,489 in Tokyo, rent included.

Yamaguchi $2,495
Tokyo $3,489

Yamaguchi is about 29% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yamaguchi sits 12% below the global median, while Tokyo is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ¥600

$7.72 ¥1,220

-50.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.96 ¥5,050

$37.51 ¥5,926

-14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥793

$5.01 ¥791

0.20%

Cappuccino

$3.71 ¥586

$3.68 ¥581

0.82%

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

$1.05 ¥166

$1.51 ¥239

-30.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.85 ¥134

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.77 ¥596

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥349

$5.75 ¥909

-61.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.49 ¥236

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ¥288

$1.73 ¥274

5.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.61 ¥1,045

$5.80 ¥916

13.97%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥349

$2.25 ¥355

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.53 ¥2,928

$11.50 ¥1,816

61.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 ¥834

$6.96 ¥1,100

-24.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 ¥3,002

$16.39 ¥2,590

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥587

$4.73 ¥747

-21.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 ¥295

$2.28 ¥360

-17.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 ¥445

$4.26 ¥673

-33.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 ¥515

$5.37 ¥848

-39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ¥351

$3.29 ¥520

-32.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥402

$3.00 ¥474

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ¥171

$1.15 ¥181

-6.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥147

$0.80 ¥126

16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥638

$3.89 ¥615

3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 ¥980

$9.72 ¥1,536

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥264

$1.70 ¥269

-1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥302

$2.66 ¥420

-28.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$1.25 ¥197

18.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 ¥8,021

$62.4 ¥9,864

-18.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.15 ¥497

26.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 ¥382

$3.14 ¥495

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 ¥2,800

$18.98 ¥2,998

-6.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.11 ¥176

-3.60%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

0.20%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.01%

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

$214 ¥33.8K

$147 ¥23.2K

45.72%

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

$24.94 ¥3,940

$23.17 ¥3,661

7.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.47 ¥5,288

$30.10 ¥4,755

11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 ¥8,327

$57.4 ¥9,075

-8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,183

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 ¥2,001

$13.39 ¥2,116

-5.38%

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

$695 ¥109.9K

$1,410 ¥222.8K

-50.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥1.9M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-34.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.71 ¥7,695

$55.3 ¥8,741

-11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.97 ¥4,103

$32.43 ¥5,123

-19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ¥10.4K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.76 ¥7,546

$72.1 ¥11.4K

-33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ¥64.7K

$1,329 ¥210.0K

-69.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ¥40.4K

$729 ¥115.1K

-64.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 ¥127.3K

$2,622 ¥414.3K

-69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ¥90.4K

$1,401 ¥221.4K

-59.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,869 ¥769.3K

$10.7K ¥1.7M

-54.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 ¥317.0K

$5,054 ¥798.5K

-60.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

2.25

-12.44%

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

Last update for Yamaguchi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yamaguchi

$317 26.4%

Tokyo

$327 19.4% 3.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yamaguchi

$272 22.7%

Tokyo

$200 11.9% 26.5% $72

Accommodation & Living

Yamaguchi

$256 21.3%

Tokyo

$729 43.2% 185% $473

Eating Out

Yamaguchi

$121 10.1%

Tokyo

$161 9.5% 32.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Yamaguchi

$85 7.1%

Tokyo

$101 6% 19.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Yamaguchi

$78 6.5%

Tokyo

$84 5% 7.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Yamaguchi

$73 6.1%

Tokyo

$86 5.1% 18.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Yamaguchi 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Yamaguchi versus $38 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $327 – making Yamaguchi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yamaguchi

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Yamaguchi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,966

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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Yamaguchi Tokyo 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Yamaguchi vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Yamaguchi, $1,688 in Tokyo – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,803 per month in Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $1,329 in Tokyo.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Tokyo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,202 in Yamaguchi and $1,688 in Tokyo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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.

For expats, Yamaguchi is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 40% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.