Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Saitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,007 a month against $1,330 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index

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Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yokohama and in Saitama

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 Saitama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Yokohama vs $1,007 in Saitama, rent included.

Yokohama $1,330
Saitama $1,007

A couple spends around $2,071 per month in Yokohama vs $1,330 in Saitama, rent included.

Yokohama $2,071
Saitama $1,330

A family of three spends $2,812 per month in Yokohama vs $1,653 in Saitama, rent included.

Yokohama $2,812
Saitama $1,653

Yokohama costs about 32% more than Saitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Yokohama and Saitama are more affordable than the global median – Yokohama 2% lower, Saitama 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.36 ¥1,006

$5.55 ¥876

14.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.63 ¥6,578

$31.14 ¥4,920

33.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥807

$4.86 ¥768

4.94%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ¥533

$3.07 ¥486

9.77%

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

$1.08 ¥171

$0.72 ¥114

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$0.65 ¥103

12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ¥404

$2.46 ¥389

3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.18 ¥503

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.45 ¥229

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$1.64 ¥260

5.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 ¥581

$2.68 ¥423

37.31%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥329

$2.00 ¥316

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ¥1,604

$10.14 ¥1,601

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ¥934

$5.45 ¥861

8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 ¥2,260

$14.44 ¥2,281

-0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 ¥896

$5.58 ¥882

1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 ¥432

$2.25 ¥355

21.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ¥466

$2.84 ¥449

3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 ¥664

$4.19 ¥662

0.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ¥414

$2.61 ¥412

0.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥417

$1.56 ¥247

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.25 ¥197

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.80 ¥126

1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 ¥584

$3.70 ¥585

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 ¥1,008

$6.32 ¥999

0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.74 ¥274

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥326

$2.11 ¥333

-1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ¥226

$3.45 ¥545

-58.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ¥8,974

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.11 ¥492

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 ¥413

$2.70 ¥427

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 ¥3,192

$20.19 ¥3,190

0.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

-2.14%

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

$16.0K ¥2.5M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

11.38%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$131 ¥20.7K

-0.63%

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

$24.60 ¥3,887

$17.62 ¥2,784

39.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.16 ¥5,082

$31.87 ¥5,036

0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 ¥7,970

$61.5 ¥9,721

-18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.66 ¥1,841

Cinema Ticket

$12.69 ¥2,005

$11.12 ¥1,757

14.12%

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

$642 ¥101.5K

$620 ¥97.9K

3.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ¥2.3M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-2.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 ¥9,651

$34.90 ¥5,514

75.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.79 ¥5,812

$25.61 ¥4,047

43.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 ¥9,830

$55.5 ¥8,772

12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ¥16.3K

$61.9 ¥9,773

66.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ¥182.7K

$414 ¥65.3K

179.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ¥70.9K

$237 ¥37.4K

89.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 ¥357.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥136.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,363 ¥1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,327 ¥683.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,656 ¥419.6K

$1,505 ¥237.7K

76.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.06

28.16%

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

Last update for Yokohama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saitama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yokohama

$449 33.7%

Saitama

$237 23.5% 47.3% $212

Groceries & Markets

Yokohama

$288 21.7%

Saitama

$275 27.4% 4.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yokohama

$187 14.1%

Saitama

$181 17.9% 3.4% $6.4

Eating Out

Yokohama

$133 10%

Saitama

$120 11.9% 9.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Yokohama

$118 8.9%

Saitama

$80 8% 32.4% $38

Getting Around

Yokohama

$79 5.9%

Saitama

$30 * 3% 61.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Yokohama

$76 5.7%

Saitama

$84 8.3% 10.5% $8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,157 in Yokohama versus $414 in Saitama. 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 77% higher in Yokohama, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Yokohama versus $31.00 in Saitama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $275 – making Saitama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🇯🇵 Saitama

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Yokohama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,777,491

1,182,115

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yokohama is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Yokohama and $1,510 in Saitama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saitama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Yokohama and $1,007 in Saitama. That's a gap of about 32%.

Kindergarten costs $642 per month in Yokohama and $620 in Saitama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saitama, where all-in costs run around $1,007, than in Yokohama at $1,330. In Saitama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yokohama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saitama – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Saitama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yokohama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.