🇯🇵 Japan · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Nagoya? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, central (Sakae, Meieki, Fushimi)JPY 70,000–100,000 / month
One-bed flat, outer wards or along the Meitetsu and Kintetsu linesJPY 48,000–72,000 / month
Utilities and internet, one personJPY 12,000–19,000 / month, higher through Nagoya's August
Groceries, one personJPY 33,000–47,000 / month
Off-street parking space, required before you can register a carJPY 8,000–25,000 / month depending on ward
Good to know
Population
≈2.33 million in the city; roughly 10 million across the Chūkyō metropolitan area
Languages
Japanese, with a distinct Nagoya-ben. Portuguese is genuinely widely used across Aichi thanks to the Brazilian community; English is limited outside international employers
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY)
Time zone
JST (GMT+9) — Japan does not observe daylight saving
Power plug
Type A and B, 100 V at 60 Hz — the western grid, as in Osaka and Kobe but not Tokyo or Sapporo
Climate
Humid subtropical on the Nōbi plain — among the hottest big-city summers in Japan, a June rainy season, and cold dry winters with occasional snow blown through the Sekigahara gap
Driving side
Left. Aichi has among Japan's highest household car ownership and, with Tokyo and Osaka, one of the three highest injury-collision counts of any prefecture
Morning service
Order a coffee in a kissaten before about eleven and breakfast comes with it at no extra charge — a regional institution, not a promotion
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Nagoya checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Nagoya
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.