How much approximately
 

Hey folks,

I was wondering, approximately how much yens per month, does one need in order to lead a normal life in Japan (including paying his rent, utility bills,commuting, food, clothing and personal stuff) ? Is sth like 100,000 enough?

I think it would depend in which city you live. From what I've read, it costs a lot more to live Tokyo and Osaka than some of the other cities.

Although I've never been mayself, considering how much you'd need to pay for, I'd say about 250,000 would be comfortable enough.

200,000 to survive, 250,000 to actually be able to do something. Your money will go fast over here if you want to eat well and travel a lot.

Depending on what you are doing, I`d say you can get by with only about 120,000/month - for two people.

We`ve been there, done that, and were quite happy and comfortable at the time. (Although I can`t say I`d choose to do it again.)

48,000 for rent
12,000 for utilities
20,000 for food
20,000 for train passes

and... whatever was leftover was spending money. There were months in which we only used 10,000 for food, and months when we went way over. But it was more than enough to survive and be quite content.

Now, if you want to live in a huge apartment, eat out every night, own a new car, buy lots of cool stuff, etc. You`ll probably need more than 300,000 a month.

I really don't see how you pull that off Nyororin and reading your account makes me wonder where all my money goes other than snowboarding and beer. I can't even afford beer anymore either, but I do send a lot home to pay for student loans.

I am beginning to understand just how spoiled English teachers are in Japan!

Anyways, I have a question. Does the Suica cards save people money or do they simply allow faster in and out of stations since you don't stop every time to buy your tickets?

Here in Nagoya, we have yurika, which are like the same thing... And yes, they are a bit cheaper. I think a single 5000yen card gives you 5600 yen worth of travel? If you go around a lot, it can add up. But the main thing is convenience.

In our case, we had actual teikiken, which are the flat fee for 3 or 6 months. You pay the fee and can basically ride the train as much as you like between the two stations on the card. It can SERIOUSLY save you money if you travel regularly between the same two stations (like to work, or school and then back home). For example, if you do a roundtrip everyday, you`ll end up paying less than half price.

When we were living on 120,000/month, it was when my husband was in school. His parents paid for the schooling. His part time job earned between 60,000 and 80,000 a month and he received a 50,000 "allowance" from his parents, with which we paid the rent. (This was before we were married and just after, so I didn`t have a job yet.)

And yes, it was completely possible. I don`t know what it is about us, but we seem to manage to do an incredible amount with our money.

I mean, we were able to buy a 290,000,000yen condo and a brand new car (2,500,000yen), and continue paying for it on a salary that averages around 280,000/month. All while buying all sorts of stuff, traveling all over the place, and seriously enjoying our lives.

Where everyone else`s money is going is a complete and total mystery to me.

So, it is possible to live off of 120k yen then? Interesting. though, my only concern is, with minimum wage pay,(what is it) how much can you expect to pull off monthly? (with a full time job) Of course, I don't plan on working minimum wage, I just like to prepare for the worst. Also, how hard is it for a gaijin to find a job? Thanks dearly for the help.

Americans need a bachelors degree to get the work visa. After that it is fairly easy.

Does this visa allow for permanent stay in the country? or is there more to it...