Cost of Living · DE vs JP
🇩🇪 Berlin vs 🇯🇵 Tokyo: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,714 in Germany vs $1,435 in Japan — 16.24% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Japan
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -18.29%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -18.29%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -18.29%
Closest to Germany prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -5.59%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -5.61%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -5.62%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Germany | Japan | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,190 | $972 (145,456 JPY) | -18.29% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $952 | $778 (116,364 JPY) | -18.29% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,175 | $1,777 (265,975 JPY) | -18.29% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.29 | $11.34 (1,697 JPY) | -14.67% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $55.38 | $47.25 (7,071 JPY) | -14.68% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $8.35 | $7.23 (1,082 JPY) | -13.41% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.88 | $0.79 (118 JPY) | -10.23% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.57 | $2.29 (343 JPY) | -10.89% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.73 | $2.43 (364 JPY) | -10.99% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.02 | $7.15 (1,070 JPY) | -10.85% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.21 | $2.86 (428 JPY) | -10.9% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.85 | $3.43 (513 JPY) | -10.91% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $9.62 | $8.57 (1,283 JPY) | -10.91% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.60 | $1.43 (214 JPY) | -10.63% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.43 | $3.78 (566 JPY) | -14.67% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.16 | $6.76 (1,012 JPY) | -5.59% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.69 | $3.15 (471 JPY) | -14.63% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.84 | $1.64 (245 JPY) | -10.87% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $49.34 | $42.71 (6,392 JPY) | -13.44% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.09 | $1.81 (271 JPY) | -13.4% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.95 | $2.52 (377 JPY) | -14.58% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.33 | $1.13 (169 JPY) | -15.04% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.85 | $0.80 (120 JPY) | -5.88% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $152 | $131 (19,665 JPY) | -13.44% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $53.13 | $45.99 (6,883 JPY) | -13.44% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $34.16 | $29.57 (4,425 JPY) | -13.44% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $36.92 | $31.50 (4,714 JPY) | -14.68% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $10.34 | $8.82 (1,320 JPY) | -14.7% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $22.15 | $18.90 (2,829 JPY) | -14.67% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $49.26 | $46.49 (6,958 JPY) | -5.62% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $80.60 | $76.08 (11,386 JPY) | -5.61% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $185 | $157 (23,570 JPY) | -14.68% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Japan than Germany?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,435 in Japan versus $1,714 in Germany — 16.24% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Japan?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.78 in Japan (≈ 565.71 JPY), versus about $4.43 in Germany.
- How much is rent in Japan compared to Germany?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $972/month in Japan versus $1,190/month in Germany (-18.29%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.