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Sydney vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Sydney
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (64%โ), Bottled water (62%โ), Scooter rental (59%โ)
- Where Sydney is clearly cheaper: Laundry (26%โ), Taxi (22%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Sydney is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: language โ Sydney 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Sydney | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 20$13.3 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ44% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 14$9.33 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ64% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 60$40 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ32% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.5$3.67 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Sydney โ10% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 12$8 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ45% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 22$14.7 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ31% |
| Bottled water | A$ 3.5$2.33 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ62% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.5$3 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ59% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 19$12.7 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Sydney โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 12$8 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ16% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 3.3$2.2 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ36% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 50$33.3 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ59% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 220$147 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ26% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,800$1,867 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ46% |
| Laundry | A$ 7.5$5 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Sydney โ26% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ16% |
| Haircutcut | A$ 40$26.7 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 90$60 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ38% |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 100$66.7 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Tokyo โ9% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 45$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, Sydney or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 31% cheaper than Sydney. Daily budget $274 vs $212; a month $6,088 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Sydney or Tokyo?
Sydney is easier: Sydney 1.4/5 vs Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Sydney and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Sydney is about $6,088 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.