Popular cities
Ottawa vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Ottawa
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (65%โ), Scooter rental (63%โ), Transit (53%โ)
- Where Ottawa is clearly cheaper: Laundry (46%โ), Taxi (27%โ), Half-day tour (27%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Ottawa is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: language โ Ottawa 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ottawa | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 20$14.7 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ49% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 13$9.56 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ65% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 45$33.1 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.5$4.04 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 8.5$6.25 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ30% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 17$12.5 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ19% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.5$1.84 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ52% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3$2.21 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ45% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 16$11.8 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Ottawa โ27% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 10$7.35 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ8% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 4.1$3.01 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 50$36.8 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ63% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 210$154 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ30% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,960$1,441 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ30% |
| Laundry | C$ 5$3.68 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Ottawa โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ34% |
| Haircutcut | C$ 30$22.1 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Ottawa โ18% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 105$77.2 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ52% |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 60$44.1 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Ottawa โ27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 23$16.9 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ20% |
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, Ottawa or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 25% cheaper than Ottawa. Daily budget $275 vs $212; a month $5,131 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Ottawa or Tokyo?
Ottawa is easier: Ottawa 1.4/5 vs Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ottawa and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ottawa is about $5,131 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.