Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Otsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Otsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,401 in Yokohama versus $1,216 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,170 in Yokohama versus $1,935 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,940 in Yokohama versus $2,655 in Otsu.

Living in Yokohama is roughly 15% more expensive than Otsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yokohama is 5% above, Otsu is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 ¥1,100

$8.09 ¥1,293

-14.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.57 ¥6,648

$34.07 ¥5,450

22.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 ¥901

$5.64 ¥903

-0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥514

$3.09 ¥495

3.88%

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

$1.19 ¥191

$0.92 ¥147

29.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥119

$0.72 ¥115

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ¥341

$3.52 ¥563

-39.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ¥487

$3.19 ¥510

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥239

$1.69 ¥270

-11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥282

$1.72 ¥274

2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 ¥793

$3.09 ¥495

60.52%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥368

$2.35 ¥376

-2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,630

$9.61 ¥1,537

6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 ¥1,018

$7.75 ¥1,239

-17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 ¥2,472

$15.18 ¥2,428

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 ¥974

$5.40 ¥865

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 ¥501

$2.60 ¥416

20.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 ¥658

$4.96 ¥793

-16.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.98 ¥957

$3.95 ¥632

51.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 ¥543

$1.66 ¥265

104.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 ¥682

$2.36 ¥378

80.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥213

$1.23 ¥197

8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥142

$1.01 ¥161

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 ¥678

$4.04 ¥646

4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 ¥1,026

$7.31 ¥1,169

-12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥284

$1.80 ¥288

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥328

$2.39 ¥382

-14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 ¥248

$1.61 ¥258

-3.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,716

$55.1 ¥8,818

-1.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ¥557

$3.49 ¥557

-0.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 ¥441

$2.89 ¥462

-4.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.39 ¥3,581

$17.62 ¥2,819

27.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥188

$1.22 ¥196

-4.10%

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

$23.1K ¥3.7M

$22.8K ¥3.6M

1.54%

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

$18.6K ¥3.0M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

8.95%

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

$142 ¥22.7K

$113 ¥18.1K

25.39%

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

$28.10 ¥4,495

$26.63 ¥4,260

5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.65 ¥5,542

$33.27 ¥5,322

4.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ¥8,929

$56.5 ¥9,036

-1.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 ¥2,232

$14.04 ¥2,246

-0.57%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 ¥2,162

$12.45 ¥1,992

8.51%

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

$283 ¥45.2K

$374 ¥59.9K

-24.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K ¥2.2M

$7,274 ¥1.2M

89.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.37 ¥6,777

$46.68 ¥7,466

-9.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.34 ¥4,693

$31.44 ¥5,028

-6.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥9,698

$55.4 ¥8,859

9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥17.6K

$92.4 ¥14.8K

18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 ¥134.3K

$467 ¥74.7K

79.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥76.9K

$325 ¥52.1K

47.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ¥207.0K

$877 ¥140.3K

47.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥137.9K

$651 ¥104.2K

32.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,268 ¥1.0M

$4,879 ¥780.4K

28.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,500 ¥719.8K

$2,196 ¥351.2K

104.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,672 ¥427.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.05

1.78

15.17%

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

Last update for Yokohama: May 31, 2026

Last update for Otsu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Yokohama and $467 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Yokohama vs $34.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $306 per month, with Otsu cheaper across the board.

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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Yokohama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Otsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,101 in Yokohama and $1,823 in Otsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $839 in Yokohama versus $467 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Yokohama versus $374 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Yokohama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,216 in Otsu versus $1,401 in Yokohama, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Yokohama. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Otsu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,216 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Otsu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Yokohama and Otsu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Yokohama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.