Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Sendai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sendai: $1,176 a month against $1,360 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
Learn more

Yokohama Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Sendai
Learn more

Sendai Living Index

Jump to prices

Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,360

/mo nomad

Sendai

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yokohama and in Sendai

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

A single person spends $1,360 per month in Yokohama vs $1,176 in Sendai, rent included.

Yokohama $1,360
Sendai $1,176

A couple spends around $2,056 per month in Yokohama vs $1,851 in Sendai, rent included.

Yokohama $2,056
Sendai $1,851

A family of three spends $2,751 per month in Yokohama vs $2,527 in Sendai, rent included.

Yokohama $2,751
Sendai $2,527

Yokohama costs about 16% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 ¥999

$6.41 ¥1,014

-1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.38 ¥6,389

$34.38 ¥5,440

17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥823

$4.72 ¥747

10.17%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥536

$3.63 ¥575

-6.61%

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

$1.05 ¥167

$1.02 ¥162

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.86 ¥136

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ¥389

$1.86 ¥294

32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥504

$3.08 ¥487

3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ¥224

$1.41 ¥223

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥273

$1.49 ¥236

15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 ¥571

$6.79 ¥1,075

-46.83%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥331

$2.10 ¥332

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ¥1,673

$10.84 ¥1,716

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 ¥954

$11.60 ¥1,835

-48.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 ¥2,261

$8.85 ¥1,400

61.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 ¥911

$3.42 ¥541

68.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 ¥444

$2.21 ¥350

27.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥445

$4.64 ¥734

-39.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥656

$3.15 ¥499

31.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 ¥416

$2.51 ¥397

4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ¥407

$2.27 ¥359

13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.40 ¥222

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$1.24 ¥196

-34.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$4.50 ¥712

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ¥983

$6.79 ¥1,075

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥274

$1.64 ¥259

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥334

$2.76 ¥437

-23.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ¥215

$1.51 ¥239

-9.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 ¥10.1K

$37.94 ¥6,003

68.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ¥491

$5.35 ¥846

-42.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 ¥465

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.40 ¥4,494

$18.36 ¥2,905

54.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.11 ¥176

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$16.0K ¥2.5M

34.08%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$25.5K ¥4.0M

-39.10%

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

$134 ¥21.2K

$140 ¥22.2K

-4.19%

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

$24.36 ¥3,854

$30.45 ¥4,819

-20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.80 ¥5,032

$35.00 ¥5,539

-9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 ¥7,795

$45.12 ¥7,140

9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.38 ¥1,801

$12.64 ¥2,001

-9.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 ¥2,058

$10.11 ¥1,599

28.59%

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

$1,103 ¥174.5K

$225 ¥35.6K

390.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K ¥4.0M

$3,760 ¥595.0K

568.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 ¥9,981

$57.2 ¥9,045

10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.36 ¥5,754

$33.55 ¥5,309

8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 ¥9,766

$35.61 ¥5,636

73.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥16.0K

$53.4 ¥8,448

89.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 ¥171.2K

$581 ¥91.9K

86.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥73.8K

$336 ¥53.2K

38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,953 ¥309.0K

$683 ¥108.1K

186.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 ¥124.1K

$728 ¥115.2K

7.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,787 ¥915.7K

$2,713 ¥429.2K

113.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,995 ¥632.2K

$1,403 ¥221.9K

184.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,576 ¥407.6K

$975 ¥154.3K

164.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.73

-3.30%

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

Last update for Yokohama: November 3, 2026

Last update for Sendai: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yokohama

$466 34.3%

Sendai

$336 28.6% 27.9% $130

Groceries & Markets

Yokohama

$291 21.4%

Sendai

$306 26% 5.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yokohama

$190 14%

Sendai

$206 17.5% 8% $15

Eating Out

Yokohama

$133 9.8%

Sendai

$132 11.2% 0.7% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Yokohama

$118 8.7%

Sendai

$81 6.9% 31.5% $37

Getting Around

Yokohama

$87 6.4%

Sendai

$49 * 4.2% 43.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Yokohama

$75 5.5%

Sendai

$65 5.6% 13.2% $9.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,082 in Yokohama versus $581 in Sendai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Yokohama are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Yokohama versus $34 in Sendai. Groceries tell a different story – $291 in Yokohama vs $306 in Sendai – so Yokohama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🇯🇵 Sendai

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Yokohama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,777,491

1,082,159

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yokohama Sendai 330 km

From you

Yokohama
Sendai

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

Yokohama vs Sendai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yokohama costs about 16% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,041 per month in Yokohama and $1,763 in Sendai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sendai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $581 there versus $1,082 in Yokohama.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Yokohama and $34 in Sendai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,360 in Yokohama and $1,176 in Sendai. That makes Sendai about 14% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,360 in Yokohama and $1,176 in Sendai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sendai costs $1,176 versus $1,360 in Yokohama. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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