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Fukuoka vs Sendai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฏ๐ต Fukuoka
๐ฏ๐ต Sendai
At a glance
- Where Sendai is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (44%โ), Entry ticket (43%โ), Street food (38%โ)
- Where Fukuoka is clearly cheaper: Massage (20%โ), Laundry (18%โ), SIM card (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Fukuoka 1 vs Sendai 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Fukuoka | Sendai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | similar |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 800$5.41 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Sendai โ38% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Sendai โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 500$3.38 | ยฅ 520$3.51 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 580$3.92 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 700$4.73 | ยฅ 800$5.41 | Fukuoka โ12% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 130$0.88 | ยฅ 120$0.81 | Sendai โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 190$1.28 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Sendai โ5% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | ยฅ 2,200$14.9 | Fukuoka โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | similar |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 210$1.42 | ยฅ 220$1.49 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 2,700$18.2 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Sendai โ44% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 13,000$87.8 | ยฅ 10,000$67.6 | Sendai โ23% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 70,000$473 | ยฅ 65,000$439 | Sendai โ7% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 740$5 | ยฅ 900$6.08 | Fukuoka โ18% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Fukuoka โ17% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 4,000$27 | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | Fukuoka โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 8,000$54.1 | ยฅ 6,000$40.5 | Sendai โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 570$3.85 | Sendai โ43% |
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, Fukuoka or Sendai?
Sendai is 7% cheaper than Fukuoka. Daily budget $177 vs $156; a month $2,323 vs $2,271.
Which is easier to travel, Fukuoka or Sendai?
About the same: Fukuoka 1.6/5, Sendai 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Fukuoka and Sendai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Fukuoka is about $2,323 and Sendai about $2,271 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.