Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Nara, Japan

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,233 a month against $1,340 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yokohama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index

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Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,340

/mo nomad

Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yokohama and in Nara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yokohama and in Nara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Yokohama versus $1,233 in Nara.

Yokohama $1,340
Nara $1,233

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Yokohama versus $1,851 in Nara.

Yokohama $2,054
Nara $1,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,768 in Yokohama versus $2,468 in Nara.

Yokohama $2,768
Nara $2,468

Living in Yokohama is roughly 9% more expensive than in Nara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yokohama 2% lower, Nara 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,019

$6.33 ¥999

1.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.72 ¥6,429

$32.27 ¥5,095

26.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥820

$4.99 ¥787

4.01%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥538

$2.50 ¥395

36.40%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.26 ¥199

-15.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥116

$0.71 ¥112

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ¥410

$3.21 ¥507

-19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ¥489

$3.10 ¥490

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥231

$1.57 ¥248

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.30 ¥205

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥567

$4.12 ¥650

-12.86%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.23 ¥353

-8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ¥1,620

$9.75 ¥1,540

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 ¥970

$7.07 ¥1,117

-13.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 ¥2,314

$18.13 ¥2,862

-19.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 ¥875

$3.30 ¥522

67.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 ¥436

$1.93 ¥305

43.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ¥467

$2.12 ¥334

39.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 ¥647

$4.08 ¥644

0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ¥398

$1.50 ¥236

68.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥407

$1.14 ¥179

126.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.13 ¥179

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥121

$0.88 ¥139

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.88 ¥613

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$9.54 ¥1,505

-33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥288

$1.87 ¥295

-2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥331

$2.15 ¥339

-2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.48 ¥234

-7.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,856

$74.3 ¥11.7K

-16.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.15 ¥498

-1.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 ¥420

$2.92 ¥462

-8.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.61 ¥3,254

$15.66 ¥2,472

31.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.08 ¥170

-0.93%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-0.78%

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

$16.1K ¥2.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

5.19%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$118 ¥18.6K

10.54%

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

$24.74 ¥3,906

$24.81 ¥3,918

-0.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.65 ¥5,155

$30.74 ¥4,854

6.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.93 ¥7,725

$83.2 ¥13.1K

-41.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 ¥1,860

$7.58 ¥1,197

55.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 ¥2,067

$12.57 ¥1,985

4.14%

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

$805 ¥127.1K

$693 ¥109.4K

16.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$13.3K ¥2.1M

12.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ¥9,733

$47.11 ¥7,437

30.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 ¥5,956

$30.96 ¥4,888

21.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ¥9,887

$61.8 ¥9,751

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$89.9 ¥14.2K

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 ¥173.1K

$411 ¥64.9K

166.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥71.0K

$340 ¥53.7K

32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 ¥283.6K

$832 ¥131.4K

115.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 ¥127.0K

$547 ¥86.3K

47.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,778 ¥912.2K

$2,671 ¥421.6K

116.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,066 ¥641.9K

$2,040 ¥322.1K

99.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,669 ¥421.4K

$1,123 ¥177.2K

137.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.02

30.69%

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

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Last update for Nara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yokohama

$450 33.6%

Nara

$340 27.6% 24.4% $110

Groceries & Markets

Yokohama

$290 21.6%

Nara

$285 23.1% 1.8% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yokohama

$188 14%

Nara

$173 14.1% 7.6% $14

Eating Out

Yokohama

$134 10%

Nara

$126 10.2% 6.5% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Yokohama

$119 8.9%

Nara

$103 8.4% 12.9% $15

Getting Around

Yokohama

$84 6.3%

Nara

$98 8% 16.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Yokohama

$75 5.6%

Nara

$108 8.8% 44.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,097 in Yokohama and $411 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41 in Yokohama vs $32 in Nara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $285 per month, with Nara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🇯🇵 Nara

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

Same time as Yokohama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,777,491

355,280

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Yokohama vs Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Yokohama is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,097 in Yokohama versus $411 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yokohama runs roughly 16% less than in Nara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,340 per month in Yokohama versus $1,233 in Nara – Nara is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Nara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Nara wins on affordability, Yokohama on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.