Tokyo cost of living (from a students view point)

ullvarg · 22 Dec 2007

Hey
I'm Currently working out witch schools I'm gonna apply for next month to continue my education here in japan, and some of the ones are in Tokyo, so I was just wondering what a good student budget would go for...
I know I can get a room/apartment for between 2-4万円
but many of the cheaper ones (2万円) rely on nearby sento/onsen for washing so I'm wondering what a monthly cost of that would be in Tokyo.
Transportation fees I have know idea, I know its rather expensive paying for each ride but a commuters pass for central parts, would end up at around what price?
I know food is around 1-2千円 a day and I know cellphone ends up at around 1万円 a month, but gas water and electricity i don't know if theres any difference compared to the rest of japan.
I would appreciate any help on this, just try not to see it from a English teachers perspective, so my economy is not as strong
Also if I missed anything plz feel free to add that to..

Edit: also for the regular jobs like izakaya and the like, how are the salary's in Tokyo?

Glenski · 22 Dec 2007

"witch" schools? are you studying to be a witch doctor?

sentos usually run 400-500 per use. Depending on how much you bathe, and whether they offer a monthly discount, you could be spending 30 x 500 = 15,000 yen/month

Cell phones are not 1000 yen/month. None that I've ever heard of anyway. The fees are anywhere from 3500 to 8000 yen/month.

Transportation depends on how far you have to travel. You wrote "my education here in japan", suggesting you are already here. True? If so, go to the train station and do the math on various locations. Can't help you more than that, other than to guesstimate a monthly cost of 20,000-25,000 yen.

Utilities will run about 15,000 yen/month, depending on season and lifestyle. Kerosene prices are going up again, so this will change.

You asked about izakaya jobs and the like. How's your Japanese ability? I think places like Mcdonalds and 7-11 pay minimum wage (670 yen/hour?), but you're going to have to speak and read the language.

Alma · 22 Dec 2007

ullvarg said:
I know I can get a room/apartment for between 2-4窶毒凪?ｰ~

☝ really? how do you know that? and which city in tokyo are you talking about :?

tokapi · 22 Dec 2007

For a single-sized futon

pipokun · 22 Dec 2007

My cheap apartment was a six tatami room with a tiny kitchen, but shared toilet without a bathroom in Shinjuku-ku, and cost me 30,000yen.
Most of my neighbors were non-Japanese students.
Luckily enough, I could bathe myself in the post office I worked part-time.

Doing your own cooking at home is a must if you want to save money.
You may think 1000yen/day is little. But when you think it on the weekly basis, 7000yen is much worthy to buy foods in a super market.
On-and-off cooking must be the last thing you should do.

And the most important thing is that I am sure that your cooking skill attracts women.

*snip
You can also find woman-only cheap appartments. It might be good to ask your student affair office for the info at first.

Mike Cash · 22 Dec 2007

pipokun said:
You can also find woman-only cheap appartments. It might be good to ask your student affair office for the info at first.

When my wife and I went to the real estate agent searching for apartments there was also a Japanese mother and father there together with their child who was looking for an apartment preparatory to entering university. The nice real estate lady pointed out a ladies-only apartment and was just getting started extolling its virtues when both the mother and father started chuckling. Their child was a highly androgynous son.

To be honest, neither my wife nor I could tell the difference either and had in hushed whispers been offering conjecture regarding his gender up until that point.

ullvarg · 23 Dec 2007

@genski I'm currently in a language school in Sendai, Im pretty good in Japanese (2級) and I'm probably going to a 専門学校 and when I wrote witch i meant which, I always mix up the spellings

For cellphones I wrote 10000円 but I forgot to add internet fees in there.

On the transportation fees, I thought they had some kind of commuters pass with a sett fee for Tokyo, so if they don`t I guess I guess i have to find an apartment close to my school.

15000円 for utility's are a bit steep compared to here in Sendai (6-7000円)

Wow minimum salary are even lower than up here were the cost of living is lower, up here minimum salary is around 800円 for 7/11 and the like and usually izakayas are a bit above in price.

@Alma http://realestate.yahoo.co.jp/03/rent/?rps=7 there are dirt cheap ones all over, its just a question about what u get, and what your standards are.

@tokapi yea and some room for my computer, but I don't need much more

@pipokun yea, I guess Ill have to start cooking again, before I moved to japan I used to cook twice a day, but since I moved here I have cooked a total of maybe 20times, and this is over a 2 year period
Its not really any point for me to find a woman only, since they generally don't let guys stay there

Thanks for all the info and tips guys

Mike Cash · 23 Dec 2007

ullvarg said:
Wow minimum salary are even lower than up here were the cost of living is lower, up here minimum salary is around 800窶ｰ~ for 7/11 and the like and usually izakayas are a bit above in price.

800 may be the prevailing hourly rate, but it is not the minimum hourly rate. In your area the legal minimum is 639 yen, which is 86% of the minimum of 739 yen in Tokyo.

Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare

ullvarg · 23 Dec 2007

Thanks allot Mike I have actually never seen a listing with a salary that low here...
Here in Sendai theres a free magazine (town work) which lists all the available work, and I have never seen a listing for anything lower than 800円 but I guess its more a factor of the lack of people here in comparison to the available service jobs, so they have to press up the salary, the only ones I know that make around that salary are some of my Chinese classmates working at factory, but I simply presumed that the factory's were screwing them over :/

P.S after the school fee is payed ill have around 14万円 a month from the money I get from the Swedish government, with a bit of working on the weekends do you think it would last me to a rather comfy living in Tokyo? This would have to cover everything else

BTW is there any magazine like that in Tokyo?

Alma · 23 Dec 2007

ullvarg said:
@alma http://realestate.yahoo.co.jp/03/rent/?rps=7 there are dirt cheap ones all over, its just a question about what u get, and what your standards are.

really didn't know thanks (if only I am good enough in Japanese to find apartment this way)

good luck to you, anyway

Homerduff · 23 Dec 2007

@ullvarg: Why not look for a school that have their own dorm ? I've been looking for Japanese schools too and I've seen quite a lot in the Tokyo region that have their own dorm. They are most of the time near the school so you don't have to waste money on transport.1

You can get a room (shared by 2) for 25.000 yen already.

Hiroyuki Nagashima · 23 Dec 2007

A real estate information site for foreigners.
apartment in Japan : Apartments for Rent(Tokyo, Osaka, etc)/accommodation J&F NETWORKS
When you borrow an apartment in Japan,
A deposit is necessary.
You must prepare for money for about 5 months of a rent at the time of a contract.
When your budget is 25,000yen, this is proper.
http://www.hiraganatimes.com/hp/acomo/list/file/saitama-s03-001-e.html

Student single life expense in Tokyo.
https://www.gakuman-tokyo.com/cont/howmuch.html

ullvarg · 23 Dec 2007

@Homerduff thanks for the tip, but I have already ruled that out since then I would have to get rid of all my furniture and then ones I graduate get new ones again and 25000 for a shared room is rather steep especially if you like privacy.
@Hiroyuki Nagashima I have all the money I need saved up for moving fees and for key money and the like so I'm not really worried about that
The last link you sent though was great Thanks allot

Tokyo cost of living (from a students view point)

ullvarg

先輩

Glenski

Just me

Alma

nature's sweet success

tokapi

後輩

pipokun

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

ullvarg

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

ullvarg

先輩

Alma

nature's sweet success

Homerduff

ケビン

Hiroyuki Nagashima

TAN

ullvarg

先輩

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