Should you visit Yokohama or Sendai?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Yokohama or Sendai, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Yokohama
Located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay just south of Tokyo, Yokohama is Japan's second largest city and one of the most-visited cities by foreigners. It features one of the largest Chinatown's in the world as well as many parks and architectural landmarks.
Sendai
Sendai, Japan is located in the Toohoku region on the main Honshu island. It is often referred to as "Forest City" due to the large amount of green space throughout the city and the tree filled parks and public spaces. Sendai is a very pleasant city to visit; they are in close proximity to both mountains and the sea and have many large universities throughout the city, making it a popular college town.
Which city is cheaper, Sendai or Yokohama?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Yokohama is $138, while the average daily cost in Sendai is $117. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Yokohama and Sendai in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Yokohama is about $154 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
The prices for places to stay in Sendai can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $66, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $132.
Food
Food in Yokohama costs travelers about $41 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The price of a meal in Sendai can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $36 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $14 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Yokohama $41
Sendai $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Yokohama
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Yokohama.
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2 hour Japanese Food tour in Yokohama:
$123
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Premium tour with cooking experience Yokohama Winery Ingredients Premier:
$1,513
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sendai
For Sendai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Private Tour - Japanese Meal in a Historic Port Town! Enjoy the Food Tour!:
$138
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Yokohama is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $23 per person, per day, on local transportation in Yokohama.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Sendai than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $20 on transportation in Sendai on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Yokohama
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Yokohama:
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Yokohama Private Departure Transfer : from Yokohama Port or Hotels to Tokyo Hotels:
$230
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Yokohama Port Shared Transfer : from Yokohama Port to Haneda Airport:
$101
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Yokohama Osanbashi Port to Main Tokyo Private Transfer Haice bus for pax1-9:
$295
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Yokohama Osanbashi Port to Main Tokyo Private Transfer Alphard bus for pax1-5:
$223
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Transfer from Yokohama To HND Airport by Private Car for Nighttime Flight:
$369
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Transfer from Yokohama To HND Airport by Private Car for Daytime Flight:
$305
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Shared Departure Transfer : Yokohama City to Narita International Airport:
$210
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Shared Departure Transfer : Yokohama City to Haneda Airport:
$82
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Private Departure Transfer : Yokohama City to Narita International Airport:
$364
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Private Departure Transfer : Yokohama City to Haneda Airport:
$181
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Tokyo International Airport to Yokohama City - One Way:
$516
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5-hour Tokyo Tour + Transfer Between Yokohama and Narita Airport:
$892
Is it cheaper to fly into Yokohama or Sendai?
Prices for flights to both Sendai and Yokohama change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Yokohama typically cost an average of $33 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Sendai, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $20 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Yokohama
Here are a few actual costs in Yokohama for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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7-hour Kamakura tour to/from Yokohama City With Private Car:
$807
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7-hour Tokyo tour, with Private Car, from/to Yokohama:
$858
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Baseball Experience with DeNA BayStars in Yokohama:
$145
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Guided architecture tour in Sankeien garden:
$81
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Japanese cuisine Making tour with Wine experience by Yokohama Winery:
$323
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Kamakura Day Tour:
$363
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Kamakura One Day Hike Tour with Nationally-Licensed Guide:
$123
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Private Tour to see Highlights of Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohama from Tokyo:
$984
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Private Yokohama Tour - History, Culture and Food:
$298
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Romantic Tour In Yokohama:
$496
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Sankeien Garden Audio Guide Tour:
$6.00
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See Tokyo On Your Cruise-Over:
$293
Tours and Activities in Sendai
For Sendai, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Private Tour - Everything good in Sendai! Find goods in craftsmanship town:
$79
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Private Tour - Glossy Sendai Night, Taste the sake and Food of Tohoku!:
$89
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Explore the Ice Monster Forest in Zao! Snow Vehicle Tour to See the Snow Rime:
$96
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A Special Tour to Visit the Ice-clad Crater-Lake and the Frost-covered Shrine:
$96
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Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Nationally-Licensed Guide:
$98
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Private Tour - Fill your Stomach with Must-Eats of Sendai, a Gourmet City!:
$98
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Private Tour - Scenary beyond imagination, a temple into the Sky in Sendai:
$108
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Private Tour - Leap Time Back to Know Sendai by Visiting All Must Sees:
$108
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Private Tour - Feel the Sea Breeze in an adventurous island: Urato:
$113
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Private Tour - A Tour to Get Luck Through Three Bridges and an Island!:
$113
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Private Tour - Energy charge with a trip around power spots in Sendai!:
$118
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Private Tour - Great Views and Foods, Explore Matsushima to your Fullest!:
$118
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Yokohama may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $19 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Sendai spend on average $12 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Yokohama and Sendai, we can see that Yokohama is more expensive. And not only is Sendai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sendai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sendai and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Yokohama would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Yokohama than you might in Sendai.
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