Created for expats living in Japan

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 (December 2024)

Below is the consumer price index for Japan, with the year 2020 as the base year of 100.

・Composite Index: 110.7 (2020 = 100)

・Year-on-Year: +3.6%

・Month-on-Month: +0.5%

Data source: Ministry of internal affairs and communications

Monthly Expenses for Households of 2 or More Persons (December 2024)

Food ¥113,566
Utility Charges ¥24,036
Health and Medical Care ¥17,699

Data source: Ministry of internal affairs and communications

Retail Prices in Japan (December 2024)

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) ¥3,679
Loaf of White Bread (500g) ¥255
Cereal (1kg) ¥1,050
Milk (1L) ¥253
Yoghurt (1pack = 400g) ¥180
Eggs (10) ¥279
Chocolate (100g) ¥316
Carrots (1kg) ¥499
Onions (1kg) ¥343
Potatoes (1kg) ¥412
Tomatoes (1kg) ¥1,185
Bananas (1kg) ¥361
Apples (Fuji or Tsugaru, 1Kg) ¥822
Kiwis (1kg) ¥1,153
Oranges (1kg) ¥670
Salmon (100g) ¥498
Tuna (100g) ¥470
Beer (350ml x 6cans) ¥1,124
Coke (1L) ¥258
Sake (1bottle = 2L) ¥1,037
Water (1bottle = 2L) ¥132
Whiskey (1bottle = 700ml) ¥1,761

 

Food and Drinks (restaurant)

Beer (500ml) ¥652
Coffee ¥478
Cheese Burger ¥234
Ramen (1 portion) ¥696
Soba (1 portion) ¥707
Spaghetti Bolognese (1 portion) ¥832
Sushi (Nigiri-zushi, standard size, 1 portion) ¥1,466
Delivery Pizza (25cm) ¥2,659

 

Others

Basic Mobile Phone Tariff (monthly) ¥5,668
Mobile Phone  ¥145,547
Internet Connection Fee (monthly) ¥5,130
Fitness Center (monthly) ¥10,731
Taxi (average cost per ride for 4 km) ¥1,696
Car (standard Japanese car) ¥3,559,649
Car (standard imported car) ¥5,385,393
Gasoline (1L) ¥177
Refrigerator (with freezer, 451-500L, 5-6 doors) ¥246,826
Washing Machine ¥107,373
Washer and Electric Dryer Combo ¥332,356
Toilet Paper (12 rolls) ¥799
Hair Cutting and Styling (incl. shaving and shampooing - man) ¥3,764
Hair Cutting and Styling (short hair - woman) ¥3,741
Hair Coloring (incl. shampooing and styling, short hair - woman) ¥6,397

For other items, see Retail Price Survey by Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

We have more articles related to Money in Japan such as International Money Transfer, and How to Open a Bank Account in Japan.