Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,265 a month against $1,340 in Yokohama, rent and utilities included – about $900 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,340

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yokohama and in Wakayama

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

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Yokohama vs $1,265 in Wakayama, rent included.

Yokohama $1,340
Wakayama $1,265

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Yokohama vs $2,078 in Wakayama, rent included.

Yokohama $2,054
Wakayama $2,078

A family of three spends $2,768 per month in Yokohama vs $2,890 in Wakayama, rent included.

Yokohama $2,768
Wakayama $2,890

Yokohama costs about 6% more than Wakayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Yokohama and Wakayama are more affordable than the global median – Yokohama 2% lower, Wakayama 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,019

$6.32 ¥998

2.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.72 ¥6,429

$32.23 ¥5,089

26.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥820

$5.22 ¥824

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥538

$2.61 ¥412

30.65%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.30 ¥205

-18.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥116

$0.95 ¥150

-22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ¥410

$3.12 ¥493

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ¥489

$1.89 ¥298

63.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥231

$1.52 ¥240

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.54 ¥243

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥567

$4.06 ¥641

-11.58%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.21 ¥348

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ¥1,620

$15.58 ¥2,460

-34.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 ¥970

$6.93 ¥1,095

-11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 ¥2,314

$16.97 ¥2,680

-13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 ¥875

$8.61 ¥1,359

-35.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 ¥436

$2.99 ¥472

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ¥467

$5.15 ¥813

-42.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 ¥647

$7.67 ¥1,211

-46.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ¥398

$3.91 ¥617

-35.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥407

$4.57 ¥721

-43.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.18 ¥186

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥121

$0.94 ¥148

-18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.87 ¥611

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$9.65 ¥1,524

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥288

$2.52 ¥398

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥331

$2.11 ¥333

-0.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.61 ¥254

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,856

$63.7 ¥10.1K

-2.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.22 ¥509

-3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 ¥420

$2.93 ¥462

-9.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.61 ¥3,254

$15.82 ¥2,498

30.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.10 ¥174

-2.73%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-2.59%

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

$16.1K ¥2.5M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

7.28%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$118 ¥18.6K

10.36%

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

$24.74 ¥3,906

$23.84 ¥3,764

3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.65 ¥5,155

$31.84 ¥5,027

2.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.93 ¥7,725

$49.43 ¥7,804

-1.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 ¥1,860

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 ¥2,067

$12.61 ¥1,991

3.81%

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

$805 ¥127.1K

$685 ¥108.2K

17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ¥9,733

$50.3 ¥7,942

22.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 ¥5,956

$35.61 ¥5,622

5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ¥9,887

$60.8 ¥9,593

3.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$99.4 ¥15.7K

2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 ¥173.1K

$475 ¥75.0K

130.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥71.0K

$311 ¥49.1K

44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 ¥283.6K

$1,147 ¥181.0K

56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 ¥127.0K

$810 ¥127.8K

-0.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,778 ¥912.2K

$4,633 ¥731.5K

24.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,066 ¥641.9K

$2,252 ¥355.6K

80.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,669 ¥421.4K

$3,949 ¥623.5K

-32.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

1.67

58.08%

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

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yokohama

$450 33.6%

Wakayama

$311 24.6% 30.8% $139

Groceries & Markets

Yokohama

$290 21.6%

Wakayama

$381 30.1% 31.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yokohama

$188 14%

Wakayama

$174 13.7% 7.4% $14

Eating Out

Yokohama

$134 10%

Wakayama

$126 10% 6.4% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Yokohama

$119 8.9%

Wakayama

$111 8.8% 6.7% $8

Getting Around

Yokohama

$84 6.3%

Wakayama

$88 7% 4.4% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Yokohama

$75 5.6%

Wakayama

$75 5.9% 0.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,097 in Yokohama versus $475 in Wakayama. 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 48% higher in Wakayama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Yokohama versus $32 in Wakayama. Groceries tell a different story – $290 in Yokohama vs $381 in Wakayama – so Yokohama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

Same time as Yokohama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,777,491

362,163

💱 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yokohama is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,010 per month in Yokohama and $1,897 in Wakayama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakayama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $1,097 in Yokohama.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,340 in Yokohama and $1,265 in Wakayama. That makes Wakayama about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $805 per month in Yokohama and $685 in Wakayama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,340 in Yokohama and $1,265 in Wakayama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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