I visited Tokyo from London recently and found it to be much cheaper. A decent meal is half, or less than half of what you would pay here, not to mention healthier. Another comment mentioned taxis are expensive, but I found the opposite, my journey was cheaper than it would have been in London, and the drivers are much more professional. As for apartments, you can live much cheaper and more centrally (~£1500 is the minimum you need to play with if you want to live in central London.) Public transport is also cheaper, faster, and more reliable.
So yeah, on the whole, Tokyo is like half the cost of London and you get more for your money.
I had never felt so safe while I was there. I knew I didn't have to check over my shoulder, or walk down a side road if I wanted to use my phone so as to avoid having it grabbed from my hands. When I rented a bike, I could simply park it up without a lock, and knew I would come back to see it exactly where I left it. I forgot my bag in a taxi and got it back the next morning by going to the taxi office. I left my umbrella on a chair and came back to see it exactly where I left it.
It's how living in a civilised, first world country should be.
Yes, phone theft is rampant in London. The thieves are rarely caught and if they are, they get off lightly. Or released early from prison, because our prisons are full.
Answering your comment seriously, with an appropriate level of flippancy:
On the Tokyo metro this year I saw many advertisements for hair issues; lots of ads with balding noggins, contrasted with thick gorgeous heads of hair that you can acquire by making an appointment through a (naturally!) Japanese domain. In London, meanwhile, I saw zero ads for any hair-related products or services on the tube. Though if there were, I would imagine most would be advertised with a UK TLD.
So yeah, on the whole, Tokyo is like half the cost of London and you get more for your money.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...