Are little towns cheaper than Tokyo?

i'm living for 3 months in a little town called Hitachi in Hibaraki ken, wich is an only 200.000 people city. I've been to Tokyo once for 15 days and i still remember food price. for example, a basic okonomiyakki starts from 800 € and a ramen from 700€ , but a friend of mine told me that when he went to Kyoto, he found very cheap food like only 400 Yen for an okonomiyaki. So.. i was wondering if little town are so cheap and, while in Tokyo i spent an average of 2000 Yen a day for food, maybe in Hitachi shi it will be possible to live, eating the same amount, for 1000 Yen or so.. What do you think?

Consider the property prices in Tokyo compared to other regions and you've got your answer.

Student,

Provided you avoid the expensive department stores, I think prices in Tokyo and other major cities are often lower than more remote places, despite what the poster above writes. This is because there is more competition and transport costs are lower. Of course if you ask about something like housing, then prices will be lower in smaller towns.

Generally speaking, I've found that the cost of living is very similar throughout Japan, excluding rent of course. Food costs vary a little from place to place depending on what you're buying, however I wouldn't expect drastic differences to your food budget unless accompanied by changes in your lifestyle.

For example, I think you'll be able to reduce your food budget if you're living in Japan (as opposed to travelling) as you find cheap local grocery stores and restaurants.

You need to know where you live. It is Ibaragi, not Hibaragi. :)
As said the restaurant food prices are about the same anywhere in Japan. But you may find often cheaper places in Tokyo due to fierce competitions, especially during the lunch time. Also You can find many lower priced restaurants & food shops in Ueno area, i.e. Ameyoko.
If you want to reduce the daily food expenditures, ask your neighbor housewives. They know where to get cheaper as they are very frugal to a penny.

200 000 is hardly a little town!
Hino, in the Tottori prefecture, has 4400 people..Now that is a little town..

I know places in Tokyo where you can get ramen for well under 700 yen and definitely okonomiyaki for less than 800 yen. If you live in a place it doesn't cost as much to eat as it does if you are visiting, remember.

I think there are a lot of bargains to be had in Tokyo and other large cities due to competition as Dave in Saitama mentioned, but I also agree that Hitachi is hardly a "little town", even by Japanese standards. Wikipedia describes it as a sprawling, heavily industrialised city.