Looking to live in Japan on a budget? We ranked all 47 prefectures by monthly cost of living using official government household survey data. Here are the most affordable places to call home.
National average: ¥385,425 ($2,569) / month
沖縄県 · kyushu
20.7% below the national average. You save ¥79,854 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥305,570
$2,037/mo
三重県 · kinki
17.5% below the national average. You save ¥67,483 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥317,942
$2,120/mo
大分県 · kyushu
16.2% below the national average. You save ¥62,496 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥322,929
$2,153/mo
佐賀県 · kyushu
13.6% below the national average. You save ¥52,293 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥333,131
$2,221/mo
京都府 · kinki
11.6% below the national average. You save ¥44,665 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥340,759
$2,272/mo
大阪府 · kinki
10.9% below the national average. You save ¥41,880 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥343,545
$2,290/mo
島根県 · chugoku
10.8% below the national average. You save ¥41,645 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥343,779
$2,292/mo
長崎県 · kyushu
10.3% below the national average. You save ¥39,524 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥345,901
$2,306/mo
和歌山県 · kinki
9.8% below the national average. You save ¥37,642 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥347,782
$2,319/mo
神奈川県 · kanto
8.6% below the national average. You save ¥33,182 per month compared to the average prefecture.
¥352,243
$2,348/mo
For comparison, here are the 5 most expensive prefectures in Japan:
| # | Prefecture | Monthly Cost | vs Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiba 千葉県 | ¥504,823 | +31.0% |
| 2 | Saitama 埼玉県 | ¥455,493 | +18.2% |
| 3 | Tochigi 栃木県 | ¥448,382 | +16.3% |
| 4 | Hiroshima 広島県 | ¥446,812 | +15.9% |
| 5 | Tottori 鳥取県 | ¥442,829 | +14.9% |