The Cost of Living in Japan
Posted on July 14, 2009
Filed Under Apartment Living | 18 Comments
Japan, and especially it’s capital city of Tokyo, have been notoriously famous throughout the years as being among the world’s most expensive places to live. Those who have experienced a ten dollar cup of coffee in the Ginza, or noticed the stylishly packaged melons for sale at airport tourist shops for 10,000 yen will attest to this fact. Yet the truth of the matter is you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy a comfortable and enjoyable life style in Japan. One of the major considerations in regard to avoiding the potentially high cost of living is deciding where to reside. As rent will consume as much as thirty percent of your income, choosing a suitable area to live becomes a number one priority when trying to hold on to your yen.
The first rule of thumb when looking for affordable accommodation is to stay clear of the central areas of the major cities, where even small apartments can be very expensive. Housing costs however are significantly lower in the suburbs or outlined areas, and despite the additional time spent riding trains if you need to enter the city on a daily basis, you will still come out ahead financially in the long run. Commuting costs are usually compensated by the money saved on rent, and most Japanese companies pay a portion if not all of their employees travel expense by providing a monthly allotment. Train passes purchased at a discounted set rate which feature unlimited travel between home and office are also available for commuters. Those wishing to avoid riding trains altogether also have the option of driving to work, but the cost of parking and maintenance in the form of insurance and various taxes is expensive, not to mention coping with the crowded conditions of most Japanese roads and streets during peak hours. One possible compromise is that of riding a small 50-CC scooter, which are economical and mobile enough to negotiate the narrow lanes that constitute most Japanese cities. Another potential money saver in regard to finding suitable lodging is to take advantage of the recent increase of real estate agents geared toward working with foreigners. Many of these companies offer apartments that don’t require the large output of cash in the form of deposits and agent commission fees that are often necessary when obtaining housing through more conventional sources.
Possibly the second biggest expenditure in terms of day to day living in Japan is that of food.
The overall cost can be reduced substantially if you cook meals at home using traditional Japanese
items such as seafood, seasonal fruit and vegetables, soya bean products, and rice. One of the best times to do your weekly shopping is shortly before closing times in the evening, when supermarkets offer perishable products that have yet to be sold at big discounts. Inexpensive restaurants offering dishes such as ramen noodles, curry rice, grilled chicken yakitori, and kaiten sushi, at prices ranging between 500 to 1,000 yen are also numerous, and can be found around and inside major train stations. Many restaurants also provide set menus (teishoku) at lunch time for 1,000 yen, and box lunches known as bento sold in convenience stores, kiosks, and department stores, are also an excellent bargain.
Other expenses incurred such as electricity, gas, and water are relatively expensive in Japan, but are basically on par with rates of similar services provided in Europe or the U.S. Telephone fees under NTT, Japan’s number one telecommunications company have been routinely high for decades, but with the emergence of more sophisticated and economical mobile phone service now available prices are beginning to come down. For international calls, callback services and free calls transmitted via computer through companies such as Skype are making the prospect of calling long distance a more affordable one. Japan’s broadband Internet service is also among the least expensive in the world, with service available from around 2,500 yen a month.
Clothing in Japan can also be purchased quite inexpensively surprisingly enough. Supermarket chains such as “ Ito Yokado” or discount clothing stores like “Uniqlo” offer quality clothing at very reasonable prices. Used clothing stores are also becoming in vogue, with shops such as “Thank You Mart” offering a set price of 390 yen for all items sold. And if you’re in need of a haircut don’t be discouraged by the high prices that most Japanese hair dressers are currently charging. There are still many shops that offer haircuts for around 1,000 yen. New arrivals who also wish to furnish their apartment with household items without breaking the bank will want to check out the “100 Yen Shops” that offer a huge selection of items, from kitchen goods to clothing, all at the set price of 100 yen.
Watch the video related to cost of living in an apartment
A talk about wage versus cost of living in China.
Help answer the question about cost of living in an apartment
What is the opportunity cost of living in an apartment that you already own?A.Zero
B.That mostly depends on current mortgage rates
C.The rent you could receive if you rented it to someone else
D.Your payments for utilities, electricity, and phone
E.The cost depends on how much you like living there
About Author
Jim Sherard is the author of “Land of the Rising Sun, A Guide to Living and Working in Japan” which can be found at: http://www.escapeartist.com/e_Books/Living_and_Working_in_Japan/Living_and_Working_in_Japan.html
Comments
18 Responses to “The Cost of Living in Japan”
Leave a Reply
You forgot to mention transportation cost!!!
Damn subway for Tokyo is sure expensive!!!
looooool. i mean yea totally and he’s also kinda like aww shit there goes my laptop ok ok play it cool u can’t stop the recording now we’v gone so far. *tries to wipe it out as much as he cans in the next 2 secs while looking on the camera and talking*
sorry, still cannot find the name. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME. THANKS.
Here is a simple answer, My company transferred me to Japan. They applied a 25% salary increase to compensate for the higher cost of living and taxes.
Salary depends on the company and your employment contract. Typically corporate expat packages are very good and cover most needs.
If you're an American, you can stay 90 days as a visitor.I wouldn't go with less than $4,000.How much you spend will depend on how well you eat,ect…
Mabet has given you some good information, but Tokyo is spread out and I have a feeling that Akabane isn't the Tokyo that you imagine. It would be absolutely impossible to rent even a one room apartment in a decent building inside the Yamanote line (that's Tokyo) for ￥60,000/month.
I also agree that Tokyo is as expensive or as reasonable as you want it to be. You don't need a six-figure income to live a good life here. Public transportation is cheap, restaurant lunches are good value, there are good supermarkets/markets, taxes are low, and if you're willing to live outside the Yamanote, rents are reasonable, as Mabet pointed out.
Don't be afraid and don't believe everything you hear.
does anybody know the name of this song? HELP PLEASE.
On the right side of the web page, directly underneath the picture of me where it says “TokyoCooney” is a text box. In small blue text it says “more info” click that and read the text description of the video. I believe in you! Yes you can! You can do it!
At 2:25, did you knock over a glass? Your face for a second is like…’Crap…there goes that vodka…’
you don't want to know …. and probably more than you could afford.
Tokyo is the most expensive cuty in the world …
I live in the second most expensive city and its between $800-2000 for a 1 bedroom apartment with a shower not a tub, its extra if you want a tub…. So I'm roughly at $3000 a month give or take a few hundred dollars … And this is without tuition.
i think this is the first video on youtube that had the camera on someone’s face, and that someone was talking about something not exactly humorous that I actually watched from beginning to end… I want to go to Tokyo
Its written in the video description on the side. It always is.
Well my bill for gas this month was 50,000 but it's freezing and I cook fairly often.
Food: I make a lot of things at home and do try to eat lots of veggies and fruits too. I hit Emart or Kim's Club once a week and drop about 100,000 to 150,000 a visit. Fruit is a tad pricey, but good.
Usually you can get a package deal for cable TV (who needs it though really as long as you have a computer) and internet for about 45,000/month. I go straight internet and what TV on my computer:
http://www.koreainsider.com/korean-tv.ht...
http://www.koreainsider.com/watch-KBS-TV...
A cell isn't too much either. Prepaid, will run you about 80,000 for the phone (second-hand, but decent) and then maybe 20,000 won/month or a lot more if you use it a lot.http://www.koreainsider.com/korea-cell-p…
I just found this tip to save on your electric bill (mine isn't too much…around 10,000/month.
http://www.koreainsider.com/korea-electr...
Drinks out and other entertainment and shopping for clothes is where you can break the bank so be careful there
Malaysia? Living cost in Japan is 3-5 times higher than Malaysia.
wow, internet will cost me P3000 (converted in peso) in Tokyo compared to P1200 that i pay in my country. Nevertheless, from what i heard the salary will compensate for the high standard of living there.
It depends on WHICH exact destination from and to you're talking about. One way or round trip too.
If you don't care about Non-refundable, Non-transferable and Non-changeable ticket for round trip from Narita(or major airport which has routine flight to the final destination) to major West coast airports which have direct flight non-stopped over Pacific Ocean such as SFO, LAX.
You can easily find out Yen 50,000 tickets or so. One way ticket is not so much different from the round trip tickets but less expensive a litle bit.
You'd better ask something more specifically if you want to get better answer.
Generally speaking, Yen100,000 tickets for what you say would be not so difficult to get in Japan at this moment.
It's a lot more. Apartments are typically smaller and more expensive. Most people take public transit rather than a car, though a lot of people DO own a vehicle.
Clothes are expensive. Food is expensive.
Everything is expensive compared to America. And, yen right now is worth more than the American dollar.