Kobe vs Tokyo
- Typical 1R/1K rent in Kobe is roughly 40% lower than in Tokyo.
- Tokyo has the higher minimum wage: ¥1,226 vs ¥1,116 per hour.
- Tokyo has the larger foreign community — about 801,438 residents vs 155,019.
- On typical pay and living costs, Kobe leaves more room to save each month.
| Kobe | Tokyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign residents 1 | ≈155,019 | ≈801,438 |
| Share 1 | 2.9% | 5.7% |
| 1R/1K rent 2 | ¥50,000–¥70,000 | ¥80,000–¥120,000 |
| Monthly cost (single) 3 | ¥130,000–¥195,000 | ¥180,000–¥280,000 |
| Min. wage 1 | ¥1,116 | ¥1,226 |
| Typical gross pay 3 | ¥200,000–¥320,000 | ¥250,000–¥400,000 |
| English jobs 3 | Low | High |
| SSW jobs 3 | Medium | High |
| Students 3 | Medium | High |
| Families 3 | High | Medium |
← View the full city database Estimate your monthly savings →
1 Official data · 2 Market data · 3 Path2Japan estimate
Population and foreign-resident figures are prefecture-scoped (Tokyo-to, Osaka-fu, etc.) so cities stay comparable. Rent ranges are typical 1R/1K listing ranges; living cost and pay ranges are Path2Japan estimates built from official statistics and market samples — they are not official statistics.