Cost of Living in Japan
Are you wondering the monthly living cost in Japan? As prices have been rising significantly in many countries, the situation in Japan is equivalent. In this article, you will find the Consumer Price Index, monthly expenses for households, and retail prices including food, basic mobile phone tariff, gasoline and electric appliances in Japan. It may be interesting to convert various prices into your home currency and compare if living in Japan is more expensive or cheaper than your country.
Consumer Prices Index (August 2023)
Below is the consumer price index for Japan, with the year 2020 as the base year of 100.
・Composite Index: 105.9 (2020 = 100)
・Year-on-Year: +3.2%
・Month-on-Month: +0.2%
Data source: Ministry of internal affairs and communications
Monthly Expenses for Households of 2 or More Persons (July 2023)
| Food | ¥87,528 (+5.8%) |
| Utility Charges | ¥17,911 (-6.7%) |
| Health and Medical Care | ¥14,324 (-5.5%) |
July 2023, Ministry of internal affairs and communications, ( )=percentage change over the year
Retail Prices in Japan (August 2023)
Below are prices for most common items. They are the average of cities with prefectural capitals and cities with a population of 150,000 or more (data source: Portal site of statistics of Japan).
|
Food and Drinks (supermarket) |
|
| Rice (1kg) | ¥2,206 |
| Loaf of White Bread (500g) | ¥256 |
| Cereal (1kg) | ¥1,062 |
| Milk (1L) | ¥251 |
| Yoghurt (1pack = 400g) | ¥181 |
| Eggs (10) | ¥307 |
| Chocolate (100g) | ¥246 |
| Carrots (1kg) | ¥458 |
| Onions (1kg) | ¥296 |
| Potatoes (1kg) | ¥429 |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | ¥654 |
| Bananas (1kg) | ¥328 |
| Apples (Fuji or Tsugaru, 1Kg) | ¥923 |
| Kiwis (1kg) | ¥1,033 |
| Oranges (1kg) | ¥654 |
| Salmon (1kg) | ¥5,000 |
| Tuna (1kg) | ¥4,796 |
| Beer (350ml x 6cans) | ¥1,174 |
| Coke (1L) | ¥228 |
| Sake (1bottle = 2L) | ¥1,056 |
| Water (1bottle = 2L) | ¥111 |
| Whiskey (1bottle = 700ml) | ¥1,776 |
|
Food and Drinks (restaurant) |
|
| Beer (500ml) | ¥635 |
| Coffee | ¥459 |
| Cheese Burger | ¥239 |
| Ramen (1 portion) | ¥651 |
| Soba (1 portion) | ¥683 |
| Spaghetti Bolognese (1 portion) | ¥799 |
| Sushi (Nigiri-zushi, standard size, 1 portion) | ¥1,396 |
| Delivery Pizza (25cm) | ¥2,508 |
|
Others |
|
| Basic Mobile Phone Tariff (monthly) | ¥5,668 |
| Mobile Phone | ¥139,990 |
| Internet Connection Fee (monthly) | ¥5,061 |
| Fitness Center (monthly) | ¥10,477 |
| Taxi (average cost per ride for 4 km) | ¥1,608 |
| Car (standard Japanese car) | ¥3,751,535 |
| Car (standard imported car) | ¥5,595,407 |
| Gasoline (1L) | ¥183 |
| Refrigerator (with freezer, 451-500L, 5-6 doors) | ¥270,108 |
| Washing Machine | ¥124,888 |
| Washer and Electric Dryer Combo | ¥271,827 |
| Toilet Paper (12 rolls) | ¥794 |
| Hair Cutting and Styling (incl. shaving and shampooing - man) | ¥3,683 |
| Hair Cutting and Styling (short hair - woman) | ¥3,685 |
| Hair Coloring (incl. shampooing and styling, short hair - woman) | ¥6,242 |
For other items, see Retail Price Survey by Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japanese).
We have more articles related to Money in Japan such as International Money Transfer, and How to Open a Bank Account in Japan.
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