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Tokyo vs Vancouver cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
๐จ๐ฆ Vancouver
At a glance
- Where Vancouver is clearly cheaper: Laundry (40%โ), Taxi (23%โ)
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (52%โ), Massage (49%โ), Local meal (49%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Vancouver is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: language โ Tokyo 3 vs Vancouver 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Tokyo | Vancouver | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | C$ 20$14.7 | Tokyo โ49% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 500$3.38 | C$ 9$6.62 | Tokyo โ49% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 4,000$27 | C$ 52$38.2 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 600$4.05 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 650$4.39 | C$ 8$5.88 | Tokyo โ25% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | C$ 17$12.5 | Tokyo โ19% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 130$0.88 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Tokyo โ52% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 180$1.22 | C$ 3$2.21 | Tokyo โ45% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ23% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | C$ 11$8.09 | Tokyo โ16% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 210$1.42 | C$ 3.5$2.57 | Tokyo โ45% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | C$ 16$11.8 | Vancouver โ13% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 16,000$108 | C$ 220$162 | Tokyo โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | C$ 2,350$1,728 | Tokyo โ41% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ40% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | C$ 34$25 | Tokyo โ32% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 4,000$27 | C$ 35$25.7 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | C$ 100$73.5 | Tokyo โ49% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | C$ 100$73.5 | Tokyo โ17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | C$ 35$25.7 | Tokyo โ47% |
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, Tokyo or Vancouver?
Tokyo is 32% cheaper than Vancouver. Daily budget $212 vs $291; a month $3,723 vs $5,844.
Which is easier to travel, Tokyo or Vancouver?
Vancouver is easier: Vancouver 1.4/5 vs Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Tokyo and Vancouver?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Tokyo is about $3,723 and Vancouver about $5,844 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.