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San Francisco 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 San Francisco
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (77%โ), Local meal (70%โ), Scooter rental (70%โ)
- Where San Francisco is clearly cheaper: Laundry (26%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ San Francisco 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | San Francisco | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 25$25 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ70% |
| Street food1 item | $ 15$15 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ77% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ51% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6.5$6.5 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ38% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ51% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ40% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.5$2.5 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ65% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ59% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 16$16 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ39% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.85$2.85 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 45$45 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ70% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ46% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ69% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | San Francisco โ26% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ32% |
| Haircutcut | $ 38$38 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 110$110 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ66% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 70$70 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Tokyo โ13% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 35$35 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ61% |
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, San Francisco or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 55% cheaper than San Francisco. Daily budget $391 vs $212; a month $10,400 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, San Francisco or Tokyo?
About the same: San Francisco 1.6/5, Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between San Francisco and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, San Francisco is about $10,400 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.