As of November 12, 2026, Japan is cheaper than Italy for travelers: a mid-range day costs about $131 in Japan against $157 in Italy, a gap of 20.2%. Over the past year Japan has moved more in the US-dollar traveler's favor (+4.9% after inflation, against +4.9%). Japan carries the lower US advisory (Level 1 against Level 2).
| Measure | Italy | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-range day | $157 | $131 |
| Lean day | $76 | $61 |
| Comfortable day | $345 | $299 |
| Real change, 12 months | +4.9% | +4.9% |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +4.5% | +3.6% |
| Versus 5-year average | +1.2% | +20.6% |
| US advisory | Level 2 · Increased caution | Level 1 · Normal precautions |
| Ease of travel | 4.8 · Effortless | 5.0 · Effortless |
| Index score | 55 | 70 |
| Best months | May, Jun, Sep | Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov |
| Shoulder months | Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov | Jan, Feb, Jun, Dec |
The better figure in each row is in bold. Costs are modeled estimates per person, excluding international flights.
The country everyone wants to visit, priced accordingly in four cities and reasonably everywhere else.
The catchVenice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast are expensive and overwhelmed from May to September. City tourist taxes add up.
The rich country that got cheap. The yen remains far below where it sat a decade ago.
The catchKyoto and Tokyo are crowded and hotel rates there have risen with demand. Value is in second cities and the countryside.
Source: Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026. How this is calculated.