Cost of Living in Tokyo

People often say that Tokyo is insanely expensive and impossible to live in unless you make an insanely high amount of money.

Nothing can be further than the truth. Tokyo is only an expensive place if you demand a life of luxury (i.e. a luxury apartment, a fancy car, eating at high-end restaurants, and constant shopping). If you live in a modest apartment, use public transportation or ride a bike (both of which are cheap and easy in Tokyo), eat mostly home-cooked food, and only shop when you actually need something then you will find that Tokyo is a fairly affordable place to live.

All those people here talking about the big fat money there offered to work in japan and are wondering if it's enough, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I'm living off (savings) +- 100000yen a month ON THE YAMANOTE LINE! of course, it's possible you just need to be mindful and don't expect to much luxury.
i'm starting a teaching job soon and it will pay 250000yen in Edogawa and ill probebly be able to save a couple of 100bucks off that much/little pay.
just remember:
-cook at home (buy cheap local Japanese food)
-get a biceclye (saves you a lot on transport money)
-dont get hooked on the ufo catchers (seriously i lost so much money on those things)

and remember, if you want to live in a big house and eat potatoes and steak and go to the cinema every week DONT COME TO JAPAN or at least not to Tokyo...

Hi all,

I just let you know the estimate above is totally wrong.
No family pay 445,074yen for living cost excluded rent.(probably super rich family might pay the much cost but not for normal family).

Especially rent in middle of Tokyo might high but there are so many availability of cheap rent including outside and inside Tokyo.

Please see the monthly rent price of Tokyo as below website.
http://suumo.jp/jj/chintai/ichiran/FR301FC001/?ar=030&bs=040&ta=13&sc=13101&sc=13102&sc=13103&sc=13104&sc=13105&sc=13113&sc=13106&sc=13107&sc=13108&sc=13118&sc=13121&sc=13122&sc=13123&sc=13109&sc=13110&sc=13111&sc=13112&sc=13114&sc=13115&sc=13120&sc=13116&sc=13117&sc=13119&cb=0.0&ct=9999999&et=9999999&cn=9999999&mb=0&mt=9999999&shkr1=03&shkr2=03&shkr3=03&shkr4=03&fw2=

Im planning to study in the university of Tokyo and my salary will be around 1 million yen, so will be enough to live knowing that I have a kid needs to go international school and I'm thinking about 3 bedroom flat, also what about hospital costs as I need to go regularly to do tests and take medications for my chronical disease, if anyone can help I will be thankful.
Regards
Naser

I am a student in China. I am planning a trip to tokyo for about 4 days. I want an average hotel with average retaurants. The trip is in august. It will be for two people. Will 1000 US dollar be enough for covering everything?

Hi. My husband is getting transferd to Tokyo this spring and we are moving with him. Is a salary of 410330 yen enough for a family of four? I would like to do some savings as well. The company is paying The rent. Best Regards From sweden :)

This prices is not real for me. For example, I live in a very good apartment in Shinagawa. It's a 2LDK (70m2), its near Haneda, near Shinjuku/Shibuya/Ikebukuro, near Yokohama, and I pay 18000 yens.

Senkaku and Takeshima both belong to Nippon forever! I am getting really sick of this constant Japan-bashing!

I was in Tokyo for 10 days and had 300 000 yen (two people) with me, and had about 100 000 left afterwards, even though we spent A LOT of money on stupid stuff

im planning a holiday to Tokyo for about 10 days, how much do i take? i was thinking 200,000 ¥?

i plan to study in tokyo university, i will be bringing my family. mu husband and 2 kids 1 and 2y.o, is 170000 yen enough for living allowance?

Lot's of questions here about what it requires to live in Tokyo. Easier asked than answered. But, let me put this in perspective...
A typical college graduate, fresh out of uni, might earn 200-250,000/yen/month before deductions. Of that, figure about 70% take home pay. (health insurance, pension, income tax). Depending on your employer, there is a "bonus", which is really just salary by any other name. (ie, annual salary divided by 14 months instead of 12)

*Rent 1BR studio, or 1 room+kitchenette (maybe 25sqm) - inside the Yamanote line Loop - 70,000 - 100,000/month
*Rent 1BR studio, or 1 room+kitchenette (maybe 25sqm) - OUTSIDE the Yamanote line Loop, but still in Tokyo 23 wards - 50,000 - 80,000/month
*Rent 1BR studio, or 1 room+kitchenette (maybe 25sqm) - Outside 23 wards (say 1 hr, Kanagawa,Chiba,Saitama) - 30,000 - 50,000/month

*Commuter passes typically covered by your employer, so not an out of pocket expense.
*If you employer pays for housing or you have a way to split the rent, then this can significantly help your savings and discretionary income. Make sure you know what "company housing" entails, as it can range from a dormitory to full apartment.

*Water = couple thousand a month
*Electric = (for 1BR above) 5,000 - 10,000/month. That's if you run your heat/ A/C an average amount. Summer is the killer given the heat and humidity.
*gas = couple thousand a month to be used for your hot water, and in some rare cases, heating.

*Mobile phone - assuming an iphone + data plan = 8,000-10,000/month

*At the end of the day, the real question is how often will you be eating out or drinking? If a lot, then money can disappear VERY quickly in this city.

Good Luck!

Can Anyone help me, what should be a Good ( including reasonable saving and spending) annual salary for a person living in Tokyo?

Thanks

Hi,
Okay so I'm planning when I'm older, 18, I will go to Tama Art university. I'm very young so I need help planning now. What jobs make me earn 418932.50¥ a month or higher. A job in the city centre. I'm planning on living there to get away from California but I need to know what's my plan and all. I can speak Spanish and I know every little Japanese so far. Please someone help me. Tips, advice, information. Please and thank you

Hi, I'm planning a trip sround Japan around New Year for 16 days (7 days of Tokyo and other around Japan). How much money I need (no fancy restaurants and expensive hotels)?

I want to live in Tokyo japan and stay there and maybe learn martial arts of ninjutsu too after I get done making new friends and see a few things and some few sights too so can someone please tell me how I am going to get there?

These prices are a bit low off..
No taxi ride for an hour costs 3,000..it's always more
And utilities are way low.
Heat alone costs me 20,000 a month in the winter..
Rent seems a bit low too

Have a job offer from Works Applications in Tokyo for 6,000,000 JPY...is it good enough?

Hi,
I am moving to Tokyo next month wanted to ask what is the average living expense of a single person in which the house rent in not counted and how much a person can save.

Hi, Say.

Living in Okinawa is very cheap, but you need a car, there is no train there.
In Naha's area, you can rental a good place to live and spend about 50.000 yens/month, but you need to pay in advance about 2 months as guarantee...

170,000yen a month with good living & savings? If you can find 20,000yen room and consume 3x300yen bento a day... You may save 50-80,000yen a mth.

I've been a teacher in tokyo for 3 years now, and I make 300,000 yen a month, which is pretty good for an english teacher here, salaries for an English teacher are usually around 250,000. I think you can definitely live in tokyo on that salary if you don't mind having a very small apartment, and don't blow all your money. I live pretty comfortably, though I can't save much money.

Hi, I have a job offer in hand for tokyo, I would be getting 3000 usd each month along with accomodation, do u think it would be enough for a living there? Plz help. Thanks.

hi, I am having an offer with a company in Japan, my slary would be 320000¥,
If I live there with my family, how much would I save in ¥'s ?.
Suppose, I live in japan on sharing basis with no family how much would I save?

1LDK about 50 square meter..
Factory workers have lower wage here.. Around 180000 to 220000yen for new grads. Usually not on city so lower living cost.
Take home of a 270k offer is 220k, not big but enough. 100k rent + 20k utilities, etc + 50k food & shopping + 50k saving.

2014 food prices got up a little coz yen got weaker from 80 to 105 per dollar

It's been a dream of me & my family to move to Tokyo. So this helps a lot with giving us a range of how much we need to save to move. Thanks ^.^!

I was wondering if what would be my salary if go to work in a factory im 18 and i wanted to save up money so i could go to a flying school