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London vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ง London
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (75%โ), Entry ticket (69%โ), Local meal (68%โ)
- Where London is clearly cheaper: Laundry (40%โ), SIM card (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
London is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: language โ London 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | London | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 17$23 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ68% |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ75% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 38$51.4 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ47% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 3.7$5 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 6.8$9.19 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ52% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 13$17.6 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ42% |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.3$1.76 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 2$2.7 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ55% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 16$21.6 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Tokyo โ25% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 9$12.2 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ44% |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 1.75$2.36 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ40% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 25$33.8 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ60% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 180$243 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ56% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 1,900$2,568 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ61% |
| Laundry | ยฃ 3$4.05 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | London โ40% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | London โ20% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 25$33.8 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 65$87.8 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ58% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 50$67.6 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Tokyo โ10% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 32$43.2 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ69% |
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, London or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 54% cheaper than London. Daily budget $438 vs $212; a month $8,616 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, London or Tokyo?
London is easier: London 1.4/5 vs Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between London and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, London is about $8,616 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.