Is Tokyo expensive? What things really cost in 2026
Short answer
Tokyo is no longer the budget-breaker it once was: with the weak yen it is cheaper than London, Paris or New York for most visitors, though still dearer than Bangkok or Seoul. A realistic daily spend is about ¥12,000 per person on a budget, ¥24,000 mid-range and ¥59,000 in comfort. Food and transport are good value; hotels in peak seasons are where the money goes.
Daily budget: backpacker, mid-range, luxury
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ¥6,000 | ¥12,000 | ¥30,000 |
| Food & drink | ¥3,500 | ¥7,000 | ¥18,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ¥1,500 | ¥4,000 | ¥7,000 |
| Local transport | ¥800 | ¥1,200 | ¥4,000 |
| Per person, per day | ¥11,800 | ¥24,200 | ¥59,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Tokyo day-cost table.
What things cost
| Item | Typical price* |
|---|---|
| Bowl of ramen | ¥1,000–1,800 |
| Konbini rice ball (onigiri) | about ¥150–250 |
| Coffee at a chain café | about ¥400–600 |
| Draft beer at an izakaya | about ¥500–800 |
| Metro/train ride in the centre | about ¥180–330 with Suica/Pasmo |
| Shibuya Sky observation deck | about ¥2,500–3,000 |
| teamLab Planets | about ¥4,000 (timed ticket) |
| Casual sushi set / omakase | ¥1,500–4,000 / ¥15,000+ |
| Mid-range double room (Shinjuku) | ¥18,000–30,000 a night |
* Approximate prices, October 2026. They change with season and exchange rates.
Where the money goes
Accommodation is the biggest single cost: a budget bed sharing a double runs about ¥6,000 a night, a mid-range share about ¥12,000, and rooms in Shinjuku, Shibuya or Ginza climb sharply during cherry blossom and autumn foliage. Food is the pleasant surprise: about ¥3,500 a day covers konbini breakfasts, ramen or soba lunches and set-meal dinners, while ¥7,000 adds izakaya evenings with drinks. Sights are mostly modest (temples and shrines are often free; museums around ¥500–1,000), but paid attractions such as Shibuya Sky and teamLab add up. Local transport is cheap at roughly ¥800–1,200 a day, but taxis and the airport express trains are not. Tokyo also adds an accommodation tax of about ¥100–200 per person per night on rooms above ¥10,000.
When it is cheaper
January–February (outside New Year), June and early December are usually the cheapest periods; hotel rates can be roughly 20–40% below cherry-blossom and Golden Week levels, but check actual prices for your dates.
How to spend less
- Eat your main meal at lunch: tonkatsu, sushi and even some upscale restaurants offer lunch sets at a fraction of the dinner price.
- Use konbini (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) for breakfast and snacks; onigiri, sandwiches and coffee cost a few hundred yen.
- Pay with Suica or Pasmo on your phone; if you will ride the metro a lot, the Tokyo Subway Ticket for visitors (24/48/72 hours) can pay for itself.
- Use the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's free 45th-floor observatory instead of a paid tower.
- Stay in Asakusa or Ueno, where rooms and capsule hotels are cheaper and trains run direct to Narita.
- Avoid taxis except late at night; trains reach almost everywhere and stop around midnight.
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Common questions
How much money do I need per day in Tokyo?
About ¥12,000 per person on a budget, ¥24,000 mid-range and ¥59,000 in comfort, including a bed shared in a double room, food, sights and local transport.
Is Tokyo more expensive than Kyoto?
Roughly the same day to day: both come to about ¥12,000 on a budget. Tokyo has more cheap food options, while Kyoto hotels spike more sharply in peak seasons.
Is food in Tokyo expensive?
No. Ramen costs about ¥1,000–1,800, standing soba ¥400–700 and lunch sets ¥1,000–1,500. Only omakase sushi and kaiseki dinners (¥15,000 and up) are truly expensive.