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New York 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 New York
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (80%โ), Studio rent (month) (69%โ), Street food (66%โ)
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Laundry (33%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ New York 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | New York | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ63% |
| Street food1 item | $ 10$10 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ66% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ51% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ51% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 19$19 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ47% |
| 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 | $ 23$23 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 14$14 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ52% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 68$68 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ80% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 270$270 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ60% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ69% |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | New York โ33% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ44% |
| Haircutcut | $ 42$42 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ36% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ63% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 80$80 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Tokyo โ24% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ55% |
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, New York or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 59% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $212; a month $10,297 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, New York or Tokyo?
About the same: New York 1.6/5, Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between New York and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 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.