How much does bento box (standard) cost in Japan?

¥662 per piece, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest bento box (standard)?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Saga was cheapest at ¥587 and Sapporo the most expensive at ¥783.

How much have bento box (standard) prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, +15.0% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have bento box (standard) prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+46.6% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 144.7.

When were bento box (standard) prices in Japan at their highest?

Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 144.7 — a record high since the series began.

What is the difference between the index and the yen price?

This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).

Food · code 1797

Bento box (standard) price in Japan

弁当Ｂ

Average retail price

¥662per piece+11.9% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: 持ち帰り弁当専門店における持ち帰り弁当，からあげ弁当，からあげ３～５個入り，並

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥587 Saga
Priciest surveyed city: ¥783 Sapporo

Price in your city:

¥698per piece+5.4% vs national average#38 cheapest of 47 cities

See all 47 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per piece
1	Saga	¥587
2	Fukushima	¥603
3	Shizuoka	¥603
4	Akita	¥610
5	Kumamoto	¥613
6	Miyazaki	¥617
7	Aomori	¥620
8	Sendai	¥630
9	Yamagata	¥630
10	Niigata	¥630
11	Fukui	¥630
12	Kofu	¥630
13	Nagano	¥630
14	Yamaguchi	¥630
15	Fukuoka	¥630
16	Nagasaki	¥630
17	Oita	¥630
18	Kagoshima	¥630
19	Saitama	¥640
20	Chiba	¥640
21	Nagoya	¥640
22	Naha	¥640
23	Mito	¥643
24	Morioka	¥647
25	Gifu	¥647
26	Takamatsu	¥650
27	Utsunomiya	¥653
28	Otsu	¥653
29	Wakayama	¥667
30	Tokushima	¥670
31	Maebashi	¥677
32	Tsu	¥677
33	Toyama	¥680
34	Matsue	¥680
35	Kochi	¥683
36	Yokohama	¥688
37	Matsuyama	¥690
38	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥698
39	Kyoto	¥707
40	Nara	¥707
41	Kanazawa	¥730
42	Tottori	¥730
43	Hiroshima	¥730
44	Osaka	¥735
45	Kobe	¥780
46	Okayama	¥780
47	Sapporo	¥783

Retail price survey conducted by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. This is a survey average, not a shop price — actual prices vary by store. 総務省統計局小売物価統計調査 · Surveyed items and specifications

Key facts

Bento box (standard) costs ¥662 per piece in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities, up 11.9% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for bento box (standard) reads 144.7 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 15.0% year on year and up 46.6% over five years.

Bento box (standard) sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 141 monthly observations from January 2015 to September 2026. The series peaked at 144.7 in September 2026 and bottomed at 97.3 in May 2019; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +42.7%.

Latest CPI

144.7

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+15.0%

5y change %

+46.6%

Change since 2015-01

+46.6%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Bento box (standard) in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	99.2	—	12
2016	100.9	+1.7%	12
2017	101.4	+0.5%	12
2018	98.6	-2.8%	12
2019	99.7	+1.1%	12
2020	100.0	+0.3%	12
2021	98.9	-1.1%	12
2022	102.4	+3.5%	12
2023	111.5	+8.9%	12
2024	114.7	+2.9%	12
2025	124.1	+8.2%	12
2026	135.1	+8.9%	9

Average of the monthly index values in each year (2020 = 100). Blank months are excluded.

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥662
2026-08	¥636
2026-07	¥637
2026-06	¥637
2026-05	¥638
2026-04	¥615
2026-03	¥615
2026-02	¥603
2026-01	¥599
2025-12	¥599
2025-11	¥594
2025-10	¥592
2025-09	¥592

Frequently asked questions

How much does bento box (standard) cost in Japan?: ¥662 per piece, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest bento box (standard)?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Saga was cheapest at ¥587 and Sapporo the most expensive at ¥783.
How much have bento box (standard) prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +15.0% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have bento box (standard) prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +46.6% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 144.7.
When were bento box (standard) prices in Japan at their highest?: Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 144.7 — a record high since the series began.
What is the difference between the index and the yen price?: This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).