The Cost of Living in Japan vs. The World
As it is with the rest of the world, all things remaining equal, the cost of living drastically increases as you move closer to the center of the city. It is also safe to say it is possible to live in an expensive city so long as you are willing to sacrifice a comfortable living and lavish lifestyle. This is a trend that we can safely say exists not only in Japan, but also in the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, and so on. According to Numbeo, a website that crowdsources the prices of consumer goods across the globe, Japan ranked as the 19th most expensive country in the world for the year 2014. Japan ranked less expensive than countries like United Kingdom, Australia, France, Singapore, and Norway, but was more expensive than countries like United States, Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Spain.
Cities we cover:
Cost of Living in Tokyo
While Japan was ranked as the 19th most expensive country in the world during the year 2014, Tokyo was ranked as the 54th most expensive city in the world. This is less expensive than popular cities like Paris, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Venice, Honolulu, and Manchester, but more expensive than cities like Cambridge, Glasgow, New York, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Frankfurt.
The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Tokyo’s center city is 130,000¥, while a 1 bedroom apartment just outside the center is 62,500¥. Basic utility expenses (electricity, heating, water, garbage) for an 85 square meter apartment is 15,257.79¥. The average fitness club price is 9,375.00¥ and the average movie ticket will run you 1,800.00¥.
| Food Products in Tokyo (April 2015) | Average |
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 190.50 ¥ |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 176.62 ¥ |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 411.04 ¥ |
| Eggs (12) | 232.25 ¥ |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 1,690.35 ¥ |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 807.78 ¥ |
| Apples (1kg) | 566.67 ¥ |
| Oranges (1kg) | 467.75 ¥ |
| Tomato (1kg) | 599.67 ¥ |
| Potato (1kg) | 316.44 ¥ |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 183.71 ¥ |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 119.38 ¥ |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-range) | 1,440.00 ¥ |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 247.88 ¥ |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 340.33 ¥ |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | 450.00 ¥ |
Cost of Living in Fukuoka
The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Fukuoka’s center city is 56,666.67¥, while a 1 bedroom apartment just outside the center is 36,500.00¥. Basic utility expenses (electricity, heating, water, garbage) for an 85 square meter apartment is 29,631.98¥. The average fitness club price is 8,666.67¥ and the average movie ticket is 1,850.00¥.
| Food Products in Fukuoka (April 2015) | Average |
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 180.00 ¥ |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 333.33 ¥ |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 350.00 ¥ |
| Eggs (12) | 170.00 ¥ |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 1,850.00 ¥ |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 750.00 ¥ |
| Apples (1kg) | 600.00 ¥ |
| Oranges (1kg) | 550.00 ¥ |
| Tomato (1kg) | 550.00 ¥ |
| Potato (1kg) | 390.00 ¥ |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 176.67 ¥ |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 133.33 ¥ |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 1,500.00 ¥ |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 275.00 ¥ |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 383.33 ¥ |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | 445.00 ¥ |
Cost of Living in Osaka
The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Osaka’s center city is 78,571.43¥, while a 1 bedroom apartment just outside the center is 44,000.00¥. Basic utility expenses (electricity, heating, water, garbage) for an 85 square meter apartment is 28,733.19¥. The average fitness club price is 9,500.00¥ and the average movie ticket is 1,800.00¥.
| Food Products in Osaka (April 2015) | Average |
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 198.17 ¥ |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 180.09 ¥ |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 420.00 ¥ |
| Eggs (12) | 239.83 ¥ |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 1,281.08 ¥ |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 770.00 ¥ |
| Apples (1kg) | 450.00 ¥ |
| Oranges (1kg) | 366.67 ¥ |
| Tomato (1kg) | 450.00 ¥ |
| Potato (1kg) | 236.67 ¥ |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 184.00 ¥ |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 150.00 ¥ |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 1,250.00 ¥ |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 326.67 ¥ |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 300.00 ¥ |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | 440.00 ¥ |
Cost of Living in Nagoya
The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Nagoya’s center city is 82,500.00¥, while a 1 bedroom apartment just outside the center is 55,000.00¥. Basic utility expenses (electricity, heating, water, garbage) for an 85 square meter apartment is 23,129.63¥. The average fitness club price is 7,666.67¥ and the average movie ticket is 1,700.00¥.
| Food Products in Nagoya (April 2015) | Average |
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 145.00 ¥ |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 133.33 ¥ |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 467.50 ¥ |
| Eggs (12) | 196.67 ¥ |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 2,000.00 ¥ |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 1,000.00 ¥ |
| Apples (1kg) | 966.67 ¥ |
| Oranges (1kg) | 300.00 ¥ |
| Tomato (1kg) | 2,000.00 ¥ |
| Potato (1kg) | 450.00 ¥ |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 200.00 ¥ |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 149.33 ¥ |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 1,200.00 ¥ |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 322.50 ¥ |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 340.00 ¥ |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | 450.00 ¥ |
Cost of Living in Sapporo
The average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Sapporo’s center city is 58,333.33¥, while a 1 bedroom apartment just outside the center is 33,666.67¥. Basic utility expenses (electricity, heating, water, garbage) for an 85 square meter apartment is 20,000.00¥. The average fitness club price is 5,000.00¥ and the average movie ticket is 1,800.00¥.
| Food Products in Nagoya (April 2015) | Average |
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 156.50 ¥ |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 109.50 ¥ |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 300.00 ¥ |
| Eggs (12) | 134.00 ¥ |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 2,400.00 ¥ |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 940.00 ¥ |
| Apples (1kg) | 500.00 ¥ |
| Oranges (1kg) | 400.00 ¥ |
| Tomato (1kg) | 450.00 ¥ |
| Potato (1kg) | 200.00 ¥ |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 227.50 ¥ |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 150.00 ¥ |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 1,500.00 ¥ |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 200.00 ¥ |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 250.00 ¥ |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | 430.00 ¥ |
Conclusion
Based on the average cost of living, when the pros and cons and taking into consideration expenses vs. pleasure, Fukuoka seems to be the best bang for your buck. On average, it is the cheapest of the five and has much to offer when considering social activities like clubs, museums, shopping centers, etc. Living in the center is cheaper than the other major Japanese cities, which allows additional spending money for Canal City or one of the many attractions throughout Fukuoka.
*all information and statistics were obtained using numbeo.com
