Relocating to Japan

Hi All,
I shall be relocating to Tokyo next month with my wife and son (4 years old). I am being transferred to the Japan office of our company.

Am curious to know the following:

1. What would be monthly expense on basics such as house rent, utilities bill, groceries, commuting, child's education, etc?
2. Which part of Tokyo has good montessory schools that teach in English?

Regards,
Anand

What would be monthly expense on basics such as house rent, utilities bill, groceries, commuting, child's education, etc?

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Hi there. Congrats on your upcoming move btw. Your question re:#1 has been asked before by others in similar circumstances. The only answer I can give you is expect to pay probably the same or more than what you do now whatever your current living arrangements are. Day to day life in Japan isn't cheap and Tokyo has a higher cost of living than other urban areas. A lot of what you asked really depends on the kind of lifestyle you and your family are expecting to lead not to mention what kind of living arrangements your work is providing for you.

Location is key and if you find yourself more centrally located then expect to pay a premium if you're renting. Commute expenses vary, again depending on distance and frequency but you could reasonably expect to spend between one to two hours on a train or subway each day unless your workplace is somehow miraculousy located near your living domicile.

As far as utilities and groceries, that too also varies depending on your lifestyle. I tend to use a LOT of electricity by myself so I pay around ￥15,000-17,500/month (blame my home entertainment center) whereas the average single person in my neighborhood pays less than half that. For you and your family, probably around the same or slightly more i'm guessing. Groceries depends on whether or not you and your wife like to eat out or stay at home and cook for yourselves. Dining out on a regular basis in Tokyo will burn a hole in your wallet quick if you're not careful so my advice is to spend conservatively and treat yourselves once or twice a week.

I should point out for the record that I have never lived in Tokyo per se but I do travel there at least six or more times a year and have lived in three different other major cities across Japan so my general advice is drawn from that. Anyways, maybe someone who is actually in Tokyo can cite you some better figures.

You're moving there in a month and your company isn't helping you set up your living situation there?

nice gaijin, you took the words right out of my mouth!

Rent should already be assessed (maybe even paid for!).
Living expenses: They should have given you SOME idea by now!
Schools: Ditto.

Figure on needing about 300,000 yen/month just to live on, schooling not included, if you have to pay rent. Depending on where they set you up (with a family it'd better not be in some dormitory, but it might be in a low-rent or older apartment complex that other employees share), you might be close to work or not.

Whatever the case, you and your wife had better start learning Japanese now. She's going to be exposed to just as much, maybe more, in daily life.

Rent in Tokyo you're looking at bare minimum (1K, no shower/toilet 20m^) maybe 50,000 yen if you're lucky. Which would not be suitable at all for a family. The fact is even some places in Tokyo don't allow foreigners to rent, which is why it's really quite unbeleivable that your work has not arranged a place to live for you.

Travelling expenses are actually quite decent here if you go by train. I've been out and about into Tokyo and at most paid about 800yen there and back from my place (which includes another private railway system, as well as the JR Yamanote line). If you plan on travelling by taxi, I hope you have a lot of money. The buses here aren't ridiculous but they can be very confusing. Local bus fares can be cheap though, at a flat fare of 120yen I can take a bus here to the end of the line.

Goodluck with your move!

As expats from your country increase, so do Indian schools.
http://www.giisjapan.org/
India International School in Japan | IISJ
Some Japanese parents also let their kids into the schools for better education.