Life in Japan

How much does it cost to live alone in Tokyo?

Yaaay team March 25, 2024
People crossing the street in Shibuya 
Many people have the image that living in Tokyo is expensive. However, due to the weak yen in recent years, Tokyo and Osaka have become "very cost-effective cities" among the world's major cities. How much would it cost to live alone in Tokyo, where the cost of living is the highest in Japan?

Initial costs vary depending on the price of rent

Let's divide the costs of living in Tokyo into "initial costs" and "monthly living expenses".
Initial costs are the upfront costs of renting an apartment and the start-up costs of living in Tokyo. The upfront costs of renting an apartment is the rent, deposit, key money, brokerage fee, guarantee company fee, and other expenses when signing a lease. The start-up cost of living is the cost of purchasing furniture, home appliances, etc., and internet contract.
The approximate amount of each category is as follows.

[Initial Costs] 
For an apartment with rent of 80,000 yen, the total cost is 400,000 to 450,000 yen.
- Deposit: 1 month's rent
- Key money: 1 month's rent
- Brokerage fee: 1 month's rent + tax
- Advance rent: 1 month's rent
- Rent on a daily basis: Depends on the date of moving in
- Guarantee company fee: 0.5～1 month rent
- Fire insurance fee: Approx. 15,000 yen
- Key exchange fee: Approx. 16,500 yen

[Start-up costs of living] 
The total cost is approx. 110,000 yen
- Furniture and appliances: approx. 70,000-100,000 yen
- Internet, smartphone contract, etc.: approx. 10,000 yen

If your rent is 80,000 yen, the total initial cost for renting and living will be 500,000-550,000 yen.
Even in safe and convenient areas in central Tokyo, it is not difficult to find an 80,000 yen rent apartment. There is a wide range in rent prices in Tokyo, from 40,000 yen (Higashimurayama City) to 120,000 yen (Minato Ward). It is a good idea to consider where to live according to your income.

Monthly living expenses are about 130,000 yen

How much does "monthly living expenses" cost?
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the national average monthly cost of living for a single person is 130,023 yen, and 136,984 yen in metropolitan areas including Tokyo, according to data from a household survey (FY2022).
https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00200561&tstat=000000330001&cycle=7&year=20220&month=0&tclass1=000000330001&tclass2=000000330022&tclass3=000000330023&result_back=1&tclass4val=0

In other words, excluding rent, a single person household living in Tokyo needs about 130,000-140,000 yen per month for living expenses.
The breakdown is as follows.

[Monthly living expenses]
Food: approximately 39,000 yen
Utilities: approx. 13,000 yen
Household goods: approx. 5,500 yen
Clothing and accessories: approx. 5,000 yen
Health care: approx. 7,500 yen
Transportation and communication: approx. 19,000 yen
Education and recreation: approx. 18,000 yen
Others: approx. 31,000 yen

If you find it difficult to spend this amount of money considering your income, lowering the biggest fixed cost, rent, by living in an area with lower rent is more effective than reducing the cost of living by saving money on daily food and utilities.

Tokyo is not the most expensive city in the world anymore

The economic map of the world has changed dramatically over the past decade or so, and the "ranking of cities with the highest cost of living" has also changed. According to the "World City Cost of Living Ranking" for 2023 published by EIU, a research division of the British business magazine "The Economist," Singapore and Zurich are tied for first place as the most expensive cities in the world, and Tokyo is in 60th place.
In regional cities outside of Tokyo, it is not uncommon for rent to be half the price of Tokyo, and food and restaurant prices are also much lower. You may feel that the cost of living is high compared to the cost of living in India, but in reality, the difference between the cost of living in Mumbai and that in Tokyo is becoming less and less each year.
Now that you know what it costs to live in Tokyo, how do you feel about it?

Was this helpful?

Trending Notes

What are you waiting for?

View All Jobs