How much does sake cost in Japan?

¥1,142 per unit, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest sake?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Niigata was cheapest at ¥1,009 and Hiroshima the most expensive at ¥1,538.

How much have sake prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, +10.6% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have sake prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+20.1% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 117.7.

When were sake prices in Japan at their highest?

The series peaked at 123.0 in June 1997. The latest reading is -4.3% against that peak.

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 2003

Sake price in Japan

清酒

Average retail price

¥1,142per unit+10.5% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: 普通酒，紙容器入り（２，０００ｍＬ入り），アルコール分１３度以上１６度未満

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥1,009 Niigata
Priciest surveyed city: ¥1,538 Hiroshima

Price in your city:

¥1,179per unit+3.3% vs national average#40 cheapest of 52 cities

See all 52 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per unit
1	Niigata	¥1,009
2	Kumamoto	¥1,047
3	Nagoya	¥1,070
4	Saitama	¥1,078
5	Shizuoka	¥1,079
6	Fukushima	¥1,082
7	Sendai	¥1,084
8	Matsuyama	¥1,087
9	Toyama	¥1,091
10	Kawasaki	¥1,094
11	Mito	¥1,096
12	Takamatsu	¥1,097
13	Utsunomiya	¥1,098
14	Yokohama	¥1,099
15	Chiba	¥1,100
16	Aomori	¥1,102
17	Kanazawa	¥1,102
18	Kagoshima	¥1,106
19	Kofu	¥1,113
20	Kitakyushu	¥1,114
21	Sagamihara	¥1,115
22	Nagasaki	¥1,117
23	Maebashi	¥1,123
24	Gifu	¥1,124
25	Fukuoka	¥1,125
26	Kobe	¥1,129
27	Otsu	¥1,134
28	Nara	¥1,134
29	Sakai	¥1,134
30	Sapporo	¥1,138
31	Kyoto	¥1,138
32	Matsue	¥1,145
33	Hamamatsu	¥1,149
34	Nagano	¥1,150
35	Saga	¥1,151
36	Oita	¥1,156
37	Tottori	¥1,163
38	Fukui	¥1,164
39	Miyazaki	¥1,173
40	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥1,179
41	Morioka	¥1,188
42	Osaka	¥1,189
43	Wakayama	¥1,190
44	Tokushima	¥1,201
45	Kochi	¥1,204
46	Yamagata	¥1,219
47	Akita	¥1,224
48	Yamaguchi	¥1,229
49	Okayama	¥1,235
50	Tsu	¥1,258
51	Naha	¥1,356
52	Hiroshima	¥1,538

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

Sake costs ¥1,142 per unit in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, up 10.5% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for sake reads 117.7 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 10.6% year on year and up 20.1% over five years.

Sake sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 681 monthly observations from January 1970 to September 2026. The series peaked at 123.0 in June 1997 and bottomed at 43.8 in January 1970; the latest reading is -4.3% against that peak. Against ten years ago it is +16.1%.

Latest CPI

117.7

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+10.6%

5y change %

+20.1%

Change since 1970-01

+168.7%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Sake in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	103.0	-0.5%	12
2016	101.4	-1.6%	12
2017	102.2	+0.8%	12
2018	100.6	-1.6%	12
2019	100.1	-0.5%	12
2020	100.0	-0.1%	12
2021	97.9	-2.1%	12
2022	99.7	+1.8%	12
2023	108.6	+8.9%	12
2024	107.6	-0.9%	12
2025	109.5	+1.8%	12
2026	117.6	+7.4%	9

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

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥1,142
2026-08	¥1,141
2026-07	¥1,145
2026-06	¥1,150
2026-05	¥1,150
2026-04	¥1,142
2026-03	¥1,139
2026-02	¥1,148
2026-01	¥1,141
2025-12	¥1,132
2025-11	¥1,143
2025-10	¥1,127
2025-09	¥1,033

Frequently asked questions

How much does sake cost in Japan?: ¥1,142 per unit, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest sake?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Niigata was cheapest at ¥1,009 and Hiroshima the most expensive at ¥1,538.
How much have sake prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +10.6% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have sake prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +20.1% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 117.7.
When were sake prices in Japan at their highest?: The series peaked at 123.0 in June 1997. The latest reading is -4.3% against that peak.
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).