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Los Angeles vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (69%โ), Scooter rental (61%โ), Convenience store (59%โ)
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Laundry (41%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tokyo is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: language โ Los Angeles 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Angeles | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ59% |
| Street food1 item | $ 11$11 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ69% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 48$48 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ44% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ51% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ40% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ56% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ59% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 18$18 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Tokyo โ10% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ32% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.75$1.75 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ19% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ61% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ46% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ52% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Los Angeles โ41% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 26$26 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ35% |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 75$75 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Tokyo โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 28$28 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ52% |
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, Los Angeles or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 45% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $368 vs $212; a month $7,222 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Los Angeles or Tokyo?
Tokyo is easier: Tokyo 1.6/5 vs Los Angeles 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Angeles and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Angeles is about $7,222 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.