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Bangkok vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Bangkok
🇯🇵 Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Bangkok is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (87%↓), Haircut (83%↓), Laundry (82%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tokyo is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Bangkok 4 vs Tokyo 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Bangkok | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 100$3.03 | ¥ 1,100$7.43 | Bangkok −59% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 60$1.82 | ¥ 500$3.38 | Bangkok −46% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 400$12.1 | ¥ 4,000$27 | Bangkok −55% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 85$2.58 | ¥ 600$4.05 | Bangkok −36% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 130$3.94 | ¥ 650$4.39 | Bangkok −10% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 300$9.09 | ¥ 1,500$10.1 | Bangkok −10% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | ¥ 130$0.88 | Bangkok −66% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 25$0.76 | ¥ 180$1.22 | Bangkok −38% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 115$3.48 | ¥ 2,400$16.2 | Bangkok −79% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 30$0.91 | ¥ 1,000$6.76 | Bangkok −87% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 35$1.06 | ¥ 210$1.42 | Bangkok −25% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 250$7.58 | ¥ 2,000$13.5 | Bangkok −44% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,600$48.5 | ¥ 16,000$108 | Bangkok −55% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 18,000$545 | ¥ 150,000$1,014 | Bangkok −46% |
| Laundry | ฿ 40$1.21 | ¥ 1,000$6.76 | Bangkok −82% |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 299$9.06 | ¥ 2,500$16.9 | Bangkok −46% |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | ¥ 4,000$27 | Bangkok −83% |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 350$10.6 | ¥ 5,500$37.2 | Bangkok −71% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 1,200$36.4 | ¥ 9,000$60.8 | Bangkok −40% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 500$15.2 | ¥ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo −11% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bangkok or Tokyo?
Bangkok is 56% cheaper than Tokyo. Daily budget $85.6 vs $212; a month $1,823 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Bangkok or Tokyo?
Tokyo is easier: Tokyo 1.6/5 vs Bangkok 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bangkok and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bangkok is about $1,823 and Tokyo about $3,723 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.