Tokyo is the big, flourishing Japanese capital well-known around the world for its skyscrapers, neon nightlife, Shibuya Crossing, and Harajuku fashion.
When I told people that I was planning to relocation to Tokyo, the reaction was usually, “Wow!” followed by, ” but isn’t Tokyo really expensive?” The truth about the cost of living in Tokyo is that it isn’t that expensive at all.
As with all over in the world, there are some pros and cons to living in Japan, and life in Tokyo isn’t for everyone.
Let’s take a look at how much the cost of living in Tokyo really is. I’ll take you through a daily budget, how much you’ll spend on bills, how much travel costs, what you can expect from Tokyo apartments, and how much you’ll spend on food, so that you can work out if living in the bustling city is for you.
Why choose Tokyo?
Dat is een goede vraag. When presented with the choice of moving to any city in any country in the world, there are a few elements to take into consideration.
Of course, the cost of living in Tokyo will help you decide whether or not to relocation here — knowing if you’ll actually be able to afford to live somewhere is helpful, after all!
Before moving to Tokyo, I thought about settling down in various countries in Asia. Thailand is full of remarkable people, cheap living and an easygoing lifestyle. Malaysia is an ideal off-the-beaten-track location with nature, amazing food and an interesting mix of cultures.
But it was Japan, and ultimately Tokyo, that won me over.
Tokyo is a never-ending city. A lifetime would never be enough to explore every small neighbourhood, shopping street and back alley that make up the Japanese capital. There are unlimited things to do in Tokyo, and each stop on the metro reveals a new place that’s jammed full of local bars, cute cafes and unexpected shrines.
The busy, but beautiful Sensoji temple in Tokyo
Work Opportunities
There’s also a multitude of professional opportunities in Tokyo. It’s hosting the Rugby world cup in 2019 and the Olympics in 2020, implying much more job opportunities — as well as much more openness to foreign visitors.
With these global sporting events concerning town, the spotlight is on the city. While this doesn’t really affect the cost of living in Tokyo, it implies that Japanese people are keen to show off their home. The pressure is on for locals to learn English — even the taxi chauffeurs are trying hard.
There are plenty of opportunities to instruct English in Japan; in Tokyo you’ll find various language schools that are always on the look-out for teachers. There are even opportunities for private English tutors or one-to-one English conversation lessons.
If you have other skills that can help out Japanese companies, there’s a growing number of job opportunities too. learning Japanese can expand your job prospects immensely!
And, of course, there’s always the Internet and working as a digital nomad in Japan.
Fascinating Culture
Japanese culture is imbued with respect, and life here is practically completely hassle-free. I feel safe walking anywhere in the city at any time of night or day. I can wear whatever I want, and nobody stares.
Tokyo is the most multicultural place in Japan. There are influences from all across Asia in the city, though it might be hard to spot them at first. From the food to the music on the radio, there’s a lot to learn and get involved with.
Regardless of the cost of living in Tokyo, moving to the city can be hard if you clash with the culture. With the quiet subway trains and the polite shop assistants can also come a feeling of isolation and frustration. culture clashes for foreigners moving to Tokyo are not uncommon, but this can happen in any country you relocation to.
Ease Of Travel
Days in Tokyo are always filled with something interesting. I can jump on the metro and visit a world-famous sight in the morning, have a bowl of soba at a local restaurant for lunch, then hang out at the park in the afternoon.
Not only that, but living here implies having the rest of Japan at my fingertips. The bullet train connects Tokyo to the rest of the country, and there are various buses, ferries and budget flights to choose from as well.
When considering the cost of living in Tokyo, you ought to also take into consideration the price of travel. You are going to want to see much more of the country if you’re here, and it’s easy to do exactly that. weekends can be spent hitting up the ultra cool cities, skiing in Hokkaido in the winter, lazing on the beaches of Okinawa, or seeing the cherry blossoms (one of the best things to do in Kyoto!)
Having easy access to the most spectacular landscapes and towns that people dream of going to is pretty special. Taking the cost of living in Tokyo into consideration is one thing, but for any travel lover, the wonder of exploring the country whenever you feel like it outweighs anything else.
Visiting Kyoto is easy from Tokyo
Healthcare in Tokyo
Healthcare isn’t at the top of my list when it concerns travel plans, but this all of a sudden becomes very essential when you think about living in a different country.
Thankfully, healthcare in Tokyo is top-notch. It isn’t completely free, however, and you need to consider that when you calculate the cost of living in Tokyo. but living as a local here does give you access to government-subsidized healthcare.
You won’t need to worry too much about language barriers either. There are top university hospitals with staff who have studied abroad and various clinics across the capital. A little language certainly does come in useful when you need to go to the pharmacy though; just learning the words for headache or stomach cramp will go a long way.
Heerlijk eten
This wouldn’t be an short article about living in Tokyo if I didn’t mention the food; seriously, the selection of food on offer in the city is immense. I’m continuously impressed at how numerous tiny places there are to eat at and how they all manage to stay in business.
In your home country, Japanese food might be expensive; however, that’s not the case in Japan. In fact, you might think that food in general would hike up the cost of living in Tokyo, but it really doesn’t. Of course, if you only eat at high-end places it gets costly, otherwise eating out is completely affordable.
It does depend on where you get your food from though. Chain noodle shops are the cheapest, but even local joints serve up a imply bowl of tendon (tempura and rice) for a small price. check out reviews online for prices and menus; this is a major pastime for Tokyoites, who love to review every meal in detail.
And food shopping isn’t expensive either. Tokyo has numerous small, locally run grocery stalls. The fruit and vegetables might be a little pricey, but the produce is often massive and will last you for days. I challenge you to eat a Japanese apple in one sitting — seriously, they’re enormous!
All ramen bowls are delicious, but make sure you try a spicy one!
Detailed cost of Living in Tokyo
Living in any place in the world is about your budget. A lifestyle beyond your implies is going to leave you in hot water and won’t set you up with a good life. On the other hand, you don’t want to haul your life all the way to Tokyo only to find out your budget only stretches so far, and you’ll be unable to make the most of living there.
I’ve broken down the cost of living in Tokyo so you can work out if relocating to the city is best for you.
Cost of accommodation in Tokyo
Accommodation is going to take up the main chunk of your budget. When taking a look at the cost of living in Tokyo, you need to know what type of accommodation there is, and if you can afford it. here is a list of the average rent in Tokyo.
Shared Houses
Rent per month: $390–$650
Shared houses are easy to come by in the city and are pretty low-cost. You can get yourself a double room for a couple for less than $650 a month — that’s including bills and internet. You can relocation in straight away without any other hassle, no contracts, and no deposit.
The downside of a shared house is the fact that you won’t know who you’ll be living with.
When I was searching for places to live in Tokyo, I read some pretty bad reviews of shared housing. regardless of that, shared accommodation isn’t all bad. You get to save money by not having to hand over a deposit, you get all the amenities at your disposal straight away, and some of the houses are pretty cool.
My verdict is: do your research into the shared housing company before you relocation in. If you’re a single person who wants to meet other people, then living in shared housing is great. Not only does shared housing keep the cost of living in Tokyo low, but you also potentially get to make a bunch of friends as well.
Tokyo Apartments (Private)
Rent per month: $650+
Most people in Tokyo live in their own apartments. finding yourself an house isn’t only stressful, but you also need to have a deposit, which is typically around two months’ rent — plus a guarantor fee and an estate agency fee. There’s not a lot of getting around this and it’s just part of the cost of living in Japan.
The thing is, once you’ve moved in, the rent is surprisingly low. TotWoon in het centrale gebied van Tokio is veel goedkoper dan overal in de buurt van het centrum van Londen wonen. Huur varieert op basis van hoe dicht je bij een treinlijn bent en de grootte – spoiler alert, Tokyo -appartementen zijn niet ruim.
Wees voorbereid om wat comfort op te geven. Je kunt je misschien geen enorme plek veroorloven, maar veel mensen in Tokio wonen in kleine studio -appartementen, dus doe gewoon mee (zoals ik deed) en leef het authentieke Tokyo -leven.
Kijken naar de zon die onder de stad Tokyo ondergaat, is een geweldige manier om de dag te beëindigen
Kosten van meubels in Tokio
Voor de basis – $ 320
Een ander ding dat mensen niet vaak in de kosten van levensonderhoud in Tokio worden ingesteld, zijn meubels. Als u naar uw eigen plek verhuist, is het waarschijnlijk niet geïnfunneerd. Je zou ongeveer $ 650 opzij moeten zetten om dingen te kopen zoals een bed, beddengoed, gordijnen en lichten (ja, je krijgt zelfs geen lichten).
Maar het inrichten van uw huis in de hoofdstad is goedkoop en een andere manier om te bewijzen dat de kosten van levensonderhoud in Tokio niet duur hoeven te zijn. Er zijn verschillende vlooienmarkten, recycle meubelwinkels en Facebook -groepen die het terras van je Tokyo -pad economisch en leuk maken.
En de opmerkelijke verscheidenheid aan producten die te koop zijn bij de winkels van ¥ 100 ($ 0,90) zullen ook helpen de kosten laag te houden.
Kosten van nutsrekeningen in Tokio
Per maand gemiddeld – $ 217
Het betalen van rekeningen is slechts een deel van het leven en helaas zul je ze ook in de kosten van levensonderhoud in Tokio moeten elimineren. De kosten zullen elke maand variëren; In de winter heb je verwarming nodig, en zomer, airco, maar hier is een gemiddelde:
Elektriciteit – ¥ 8.000 ($ 72)
Gas – ¥ 4.000 ($ 36)
Water – ¥ 4.000 ($ 36)
Telefoon – ¥ 3.000 ($ 27)
Internet – ¥ 5.000 ($ 45)
Kosten van gezondheidszorg in Tokio
Minimum per maand – $ 18
De gezondheidszorg in Japan is geweldig, maar u zult het ook moeten budgetteren in uw kosten van levensonderhoud. In Tokio is de gezondheidszorg gemakkelijk te vinden en goedkoop. Na drie maanden in de stad te hebben gewoond, moet u zich aanmelden voor het staatsgezondheidszorgschema. Het bedrag zal variëren, afhankelijk van uw visum en weerspiegelt hoeveel u verdient en hoeveel uw werknemer erin werpt.
Kosten van het openbaar vervoer in Tokio
Minimum per week – $ 32
De treinen en het openbaar vervoer in Tokio zijn relatief goedkoop in vergelijking met ergens als Londen. In sommige gevallen kan het het gevoel hebben dat het nauwelijks alles kost om door de stad te reizen. Maar de Yen klopt wel en ik kan ineens merken dat ik $ 9 op treinen blaast zonder erover na te denken.
Transport zou moeten worden ingesteld in uw dagelijkse kosten van levensonderhoud in Tokio als u moet reizen om in de trein te werken. Zo niet, dan kunt u kosten besparen door uzelf een fiets te kopen omdat de stad fantastisch veilig is voor fietsers. Of je kunt proberen te lopen naar plaatsen zoals ik vaak doe. Lopen houdt de kosten laag en ik kan altijd nieuwe en interessante delen van de stad ontdekken.
Als je loopt, in plaats van de trein te nemen, zul je genieten van het uitzicht!
Dagelijkse kosten van leven in Tokio
Het is mogelijk om minder dan ¥ 10.000 ($ 90) per week uit te geven voor voedsel; Dit omvat de prijs van een paar keer per week uit eten gaan. Het winkelen van eten en het opslaan van uw kasten kan worden gedaan voor ¥ 5.000 ($ 45) per week. Een deel van de kosten van levensonderhoud in Tokio is uit eten gaan. Als je geen alcohol drinkt, wordt het een stuk minder duur voor je!
Afhankelijk van waar u koffie koopt, of hoe vaak u uw haar snijdt, geeft u veel meer of minder geld uit. Dingen kunnen vrij goedkoop zijn in Tokio – het kan je verbazen.
De belangrijkste richtlijn van de duim als u geld wilt besparen tijdens uw verblijf in Tokio, leeft zoals de lokale bevolking. Eet lokaal eten en drink lokale drankjes.
Kaas is bijvoorbeeld extreem duur in Japan, dus als je een fan bent van kaas zoals ik, kun je jezelf beter schrap zetten!
Haar