Japan Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $747 31%
- Food & drink $973 41%
- Getting around $211 9%
- Work + connectivity $218 9%
- Health, gym, fun $230 10%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Japan adds roughly 3% on top, about $71 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Japan →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 85% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $652
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $8.43 $270
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $24 $378
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.66 $85
- Coffees 45 × $4.29 $193
- Beers out 10 × $4.69 $47
- Getting around transit pass + 12 taxis $211
- Coworking $142/mo $142
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $76
- Gym $57/mo $57
- Massages 2 × $43 $85
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $7.49
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the tracked prices below; utilities, the buffer and amortised health are modelled estimates.
Updated August 2026
Average prices in Japan
Japan is expensive by regional standards. Everyday food can be cheap, a ramen bowl is about ¥1,000, but rent, nights out and imported goods are where it gets expensive.
Supermarket prices
Rent in Japan by city
Rent prices differ a lot depending on which city in Japan you stay in. Below are some of the most popular, compared to the national average, using our own estimates from local listings.
- Tokyo Pricier Tokyo has by far the highest rents in the country. A modern one-bed inside the Yamanote loop is often over $1,400, and the apartments are small. In return you get the transit network and a city that stays open late. Rents drop a few stops out, toward Nakano or the eastern wards.
- Osaka Pricier Osaka is the value big city: rents well below Tokyo, more room for the money, and a food scene that is cheaper to eat out in. It has excellent transit and a faster, blunter feel than the capital.
- Kyoto Mid Kyoto sits near the national average on rent, but the rental market is tight and the housing stock old, and tourist demand pushes short-term prices up. It is walkable, with worse transit than Osaka half an hour away.
- Nara Mid Nara is quieter and a little cheaper than Kyoto next door, and plenty of people live here and commute into Osaka. It is a small city, so expect fewer cafes and coworking spaces.
- Hiroshima Cheaper Hiroshima is an easygoing mid-size city in western Japan, with rents well under the Kansai cities and a short hop to the coast and the islands. There are fewer foreigners and less coworking than the big three.
- Sapporo Cheaper Sapporo has the lowest rents on this list and the most space for your money, plus its own food and beer scene. The catch is the winter, which is long and snowy, and heating adds to the bill.
Is Japan expensive?
Japan costs more than Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia, though less than its reputation suggests. Rent outside Tokyo is reasonable, trains and konbini food are cheap, and a doctor visit costs about $45. Where it gets expensive is Tokyo rent, nights out, and imported groceries like cheese and fruit. The difference between a $6 lunch set and a $40 izakaya dinner is what changes your budget.
On the Digital Nomad setting the national average is about $2,380 a month, well above Thailand ($1,540) and Indonesia ($1,400), and still below a mid-size US city. Tokyo gets more expensive than $3,100 and close to home-city numbers, while Osaka, Hiroshima and Sapporo can be several hundred dollars cheaper. Of all the places we cover in the region, only Singapore costs more.
Sending money to Japan
If you earn abroad, you are converting to yen for rent and daily spending, and the yen has swung a lot lately. A weak rate plus a transfer fee can cost 3 to 5% each time, which gets more expensive here than in cheaper countries because the bills are bigger.
Move-in costs are steep: a rental often wants several months up front, including key money you do not get back, and landlords expect a Japanese bank transfer. Make sure you have a cheap way to send money before you sign. Compare different providers below, then the full Japan money guide covers IC cards, ATMs and cash.
What you'll receive today
Compare Providers
Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Japan money guide.
Thinking about the move?
Sign up for our guide on living well abroad for less.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
How much do you need per month to live in Japan?
About $1,080 a month for a basic setup, $2,380 for a digital-nomad month with a one-bed and coworking, and $3,920 for a bigger apartment with taxis and dining out, per person at the national average. Tokyo is well above all three; Sapporo, Hiroshima and Osaka are lower. Use the calculator above for your own city and currency.
-
Is Japan expensive to live in?
Less than its reputation, once you leave Tokyo. Rent in Osaka, Hiroshima or Sapporo is fair, trains and konbini food are cheap, and healthcare is well priced. Tokyo is the expensive part, and eating out at night adds up anywhere. On a nomad budget Japan is pricier than Thailand or Vietnam but below a mid-size US city.
-
Can you live in Japan on $1,500 a month?
Outside Tokyo, yes, if you keep rent low and cook some meals. In Sapporo or Hiroshima, $1,500 covers a one-bed, a transit pass and eating out a few times a week. In central Tokyo it is tight, and means a small place and mostly cooking at home.
-
Is Japan more expensive than Thailand?
Yes, by a fair margin. A nomad month averages about $2,380 in Japan against $1,540 in Thailand, mostly on rent and eating out. You do get more for it: the trains and the healthcare alone are a clear step up. Within Japan, Osaka and Sapporo narrow the gap with Thai cities.
-
What costs surprise people in Japan?
The move-in bill. A rental can want several months up front, including non-refundable key money, plus a guarantor-company fee. After that it is Tokyo rent and how fast izakaya nights add up. Health insurance and the residence tax also catch people who stay long enough to owe them.