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Jeju vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฐ๐ท Jeju
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (38%โ), Massage (27%โ), SIM card (22%โ)
- Where Jeju is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (73%โ), Taxi (66%โ), Studio rent (month) (61%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tokyo is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: getting around โ Jeju 3 vs Tokyo 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Jeju | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ7% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Jeju โ20% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Jeju โ9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฉ 13,000$9.42 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Jeju โ7% |
| Bottled water | โฉ 1,000$0.72 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Jeju โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ16% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฉ 7,500$5.43 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Jeju โ66% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฉ 4,500$3.26 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Jeju โ52% |
| Transitone ride | โฉ 1,200$0.87 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Jeju โ39% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ38% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฉ 90,000$65.2 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Jeju โ40% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฉ 550,000$399 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Jeju โ61% |
| Laundry | โฉ 9,000$6.52 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ22% |
| Haircutcut | โฉ 18,000$13 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Jeju โ52% |
| Massage1 hour | โฉ 70,000$50.7 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ27% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฉ 50,000$36.2 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Jeju โ40% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Jeju โ73% |
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, Jeju or Tokyo?
Jeju is 40% cheaper than Tokyo. Daily budget $133 vs $212; a month $2,168 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Jeju or Tokyo?
Tokyo is easier: Tokyo 1.6/5 vs Jeju 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Jeju and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jeju is about $2,168 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.