How much does printer ink cost in Japan?

¥2,077 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 printer ink?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Kanazawa was cheapest at ¥1,992 and Kyoto the most expensive at ¥2,234.

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

As of September 2026, +4.7% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

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

+16.1% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 115.9.

When were printer ink prices in Japan at their highest?

Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 115.9 — 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).

Culture & recreation · code 9128

Printer ink price in Japan

プリンタ用インク

Average retail price

¥2,077per piece+4.6% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: インクジェットプリンタ用，独立タイプ，顔料インク，大容量，ブラック，「キヤノンＢＣＩ－３８０ＸＬＰＧＢＫ」

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥1,992 Kanazawa
Priciest surveyed city: ¥2,234 Kyoto

Price in your city:

¥2,061per piece-0.8% vs national average#22 cheapest of 47 cities

See all 47 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per piece
1	Kanazawa	¥1,992
2	Chiba	¥2,010
3	Matsue	¥2,010
4	Maebashi	¥2,042
5	Saitama	¥2,042
6	Oita	¥2,042
7	Aomori	¥2,060
8	Morioka	¥2,060
9	Sendai	¥2,060
10	Akita	¥2,060
11	Fukushima	¥2,060
12	Mito	¥2,060
13	Yokohama	¥2,060
14	Niigata	¥2,060
15	Fukui	¥2,060
16	Nagoya	¥2,060
17	Otsu	¥2,060
18	Nara	¥2,060
19	Tottori	¥2,060
20	Hiroshima	¥2,060
21	Takamatsu	¥2,060
22	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥2,061
23	Matsuyama	¥2,069
24	Osaka	¥2,074
25	Sapporo	¥2,092
26	Yamagata	¥2,092
27	Utsunomiya	¥2,092
28	Toyama	¥2,092
29	Kofu	¥2,092
30	Nagano	¥2,092
31	Gifu	¥2,092
32	Shizuoka	¥2,092
33	Kobe	¥2,092
34	Okayama	¥2,092
35	Yamaguchi	¥2,092
36	Tokushima	¥2,092
37	Fukuoka	¥2,092
38	Nagasaki	¥2,092
39	Kumamoto	¥2,092
40	Miyazaki	¥2,092
41	Naha	¥2,092
42	Wakayama	¥2,097
43	Kagoshima	¥2,119
44	Kochi	¥2,123
45	Saga	¥2,123
46	Tsu	¥2,125
47	Kyoto	¥2,234

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

Printer ink costs ¥2,077 per piece in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities, up 4.6% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for printer ink reads 115.9 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 4.7% year on year and up 16.1% over five years.

Printer ink sits in the culture & recreation group of Japan's CPI basket, with 261 monthly observations from January 2005 to September 2026. The series peaked at 115.9 in September 2026 and bottomed at 80.7 in January 2012; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +33.5%.

Latest CPI

115.9

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+4.7%

5y change %

+16.1%

Change since 2005-01

+41.0%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Printer ink in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	85.0	+1.8%	12
2016	86.8	+2.1%	12
2017	89.9	+3.6%	12
2018	98.4	+9.5%	12
2019	98.8	+0.4%	12
2020	100.0	+1.2%	12
2021	99.7	-0.3%	12
2022	103.2	+3.5%	12
2023	109.1	+5.7%	12
2024	109.8	+0.6%	12
2025	109.9	+0.1%	12
2026	110.6	+0.6%	9

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

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥2,077
2026-08	¥1,980
2026-07	¥1,979
2026-06	¥1,971
2026-05	¥1,972
2026-04	¥1,968
2026-03	¥1,973
2026-02	¥1,966
2026-01	¥1,962
2025-12	¥1,984
2025-11	¥1,977
2025-10	¥1,975
2025-09	¥1,986

Frequently asked questions

How much does printer ink cost in Japan?: ¥2,077 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 printer ink?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Kanazawa was cheapest at ¥1,992 and Kyoto the most expensive at ¥2,234.
How much have printer ink prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +4.7% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have printer ink prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +16.1% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 115.9.
When were printer ink prices in Japan at their highest?: Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 115.9 — 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).