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-   -   How much approximately (https://www.japanforum.com/forum/living-japan/1957-how-much-approximately.html)

popeyethehomeswinger 01-30-2007 11:56 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonbvr (Post 32521)
Sorry if I came off as a bit condescending. I just wanted to share the info.

Owning and driving a car is quite expensive. Then they have charges like how NHK broadcasting comes to your door and collects a tax if you own a TV. Traveling inside Japan can be pricey when you are trying to get relatively far from home such as round trip 100 USD for me to get from Ota in Gunma to the other side of Nagano.

The toughest expense though is beer. Two dollar beer is more depressing than, well I don't know anything even remotely as depressing.

Cheap stuff, cigarettes, rice, instant ramen, convenient store food and everything in the amazingly awesome one hundred yen stores.

Oh and let's not forget the expenses incurred due to cultural norms like giving money when a coworker is sick and omiyage which I know I didn't spell right. This is when you bring back souvenirs for like everyone you know when you go somewhere.

Then say you bring candy for your students but not for the teachers they get all secretly pissed even though you brought them high dollar chocolates just two months before. I had ten pounds of candy in my bag. How can I bring something for everyone when I have like four hundred students? Geez, I thought I was working with adults.
no worries, no harm meant, aight ?:)
it doesnt seem to be more expensive than living in sweden..
We also have to pay a fee to watch tv, like a 100 usd a year, althoug alot of people scam, using a so-called " pirate box" lol.
And talking about tobaco..
the new government we got last fall have introduced a higher tax on all tobaco, cigarettes costs like 7 usd and the snus ( popular oral tobaco) costs a buck less..
the beer's about 1 - 2 bucks depending on the brand, and iv'e heard that they'll raise the taxes on alcohol... fucking nazis.
also the gasoline is VERY expensive sometimes, 1,5 - 2 bucks the litre.

anyhow, it sounds hilarious what you mentioned about how people expect you to buy gifts to em, like an irl anime :D

robnixd 09-10-2007 09:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 31236)
There are two different types of re-entry permits. The single use type, and the multiple use type. The single one ends after (obviously) a single use. The multiple use one only lasts a year, no matter what type of visa you have. (A 3 year visa? Permanent residency? Oh well. You`ll need a new one every year.)
I have never had a multiple entry one. I`ve never left the country 3 or more times in a single year. And if you don`t, then it`s a total waste of money. Twice, and you`d might as well have gotten the single use one, as it costs the same anyway.
Now, if the multiple entry lasted the entire length of a visa... ie. forever with the permanent residency one, etc.... That would be nice. But it doesn`t.

as i've said in a previous post in another thread, i'm considering a job offer in japan. somebody else will be taking care of my visa, so i can only assume that the duration of the work visa is for 1 year, which is the length of the contract. can i assume as well that this is a multiple-entry permit that i'll be getting with the visa, or do i need to verify that first from the employer? i'm just thinking of a scenario where i might fly to, say, mongolia (or anywhere else, for that matter) for a few days on my personal time.

robnixd 09-10-2007 09:41 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 27286)
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.

how's the cost of living in kawasaki? seeing its proximity to tokyo, i was thinking (but not hoping ;) ) that the COL might be similar to tokyo's. is that accurate? if i work in tokyo and live in kawasaki, how much would be a comfortable amount to live on? also, how long does it take to get from one place to the other (one-way)?

fz22gq 11-11-2007 01:13 AM
I live in Tokyo .... apartment alone costs me 200,000+ per month. Anyone quoting `you can get by on 150,000 per month` is seriously kidding you. If you`re happy to live in 1 room with no windows nowhere near where you want to be and eat ramen from the convenience store every night you might be able to do it. Whay come to Japan if thats the case?? Tokyo is much more expensive than other places .... i work in Hon-Atsugi (5okms) sth of Tokyo .... not much to do down there but it is a fair bit cheaper .... would still cost me 100,000 for a 1LDK though.

Nyororin 11-11-2007 03:56 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fz22gq (Post 291370)
I live in Tokyo .... apartment alone costs me 200,000+ per month. Anyone quoting `you can get by on 150,000 per month` is seriously kidding you. If you`re happy to live in 1 room with no windows nowhere near where you want to be and eat ramen from the convenience store every night you might be able to do it. Whay come to Japan if thats the case?? Tokyo is much more expensive than other places .... i work in Hon-Atsugi (5okms) sth of Tokyo .... not much to do down there but it is a fair bit cheaper .... would still cost me 100,000 for a 1LDK though.
I guess my life didn`t exist then. We lived in a 1 bedroom (not one room - separate kitchen and dining), 3 minutes from the station.

This wasn`t Tokyo, but either way, sounds like you`re either being ripped off or living in a luxury apartment. Neither of which I recommend for someone trying to get by on a budget or save money.

You don`t have to spend a huge amount to live in Japan. You CAN get by on very little. Is it a lot of fun? No, but if you`re making your living costs as low as possible, you have a lot more to spend on activities you enjoy.

Now, being as living comfortably is my current activity of choice (having a family does that to you), we spend like 350,000 a month on living expenses. But that doesn`t mean that you couldn`t get by on much much much less.

Wagamama 11-11-2007 05:45 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fz22gq (Post 291370)
I live in Tokyo .... apartment alone costs me 200,000+ per month. Anyone quoting `you can get by on 150,000 per month` is seriously kidding you. If you`re happy to live in 1 room with no windows nowhere near where you want to be and eat ramen from the convenience store every night you might be able to do it. Whay come to Japan if thats the case?? Tokyo is much more expensive than other places .... i work in Hon-Atsugi (5okms) sth of Tokyo .... not much to do down there but it is a fair bit cheaper .... would still cost me 100,000 for a 1LDK though.
:eek: Wow if thats the case it will be a wonder for any self-supporting student studying over in Japan to survive.On this note,Is there anyone that is a Student,depending only on yourself to survive?be it from savings/part time jobs.

Nyororin 11-11-2007 06:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wagamama (Post 291956)
:eek: Wow if thats the case it will be a wonder for any self-supporting student studying over in Japan to survive.On this note,Is there anyone that is a Student,depending only on yourself to survive?be it from savings/part time jobs.
My husband and I got married when he was still a student. He worked nights at a combini when he wasn`t too busy with school. We got by on about 120,000/month for everything. Food, apartment, transportation, etc - for BOTH of us. Plus buying games, going out to eat occasionally, putting together a new PC, etc. We lived pretty comfortably, in a big city, with a view of the station from our balcony.

The only thing we didn`t pay for was university tuition, and rice (distant relatives are rice farmers, so they`d send us a huge bag each month.)

It can be done, without too much trouble at all.

MMM 11-11-2007 07:02 PM
There are plenty of apartments in Tokyo under 200,000 a month. A 15 second search found new apartments in Roppongi for 150,000.

I live in a studio the was five minutes from the station, and a 12 minute ride from OJR Osaka that was 60,000 a month. The One bedroom apartments in my building were 80,000 or 90,000 I believe.

Sure, you can pay 10 times that if you want, but they are out there.

Tokyo Apartments. Furnished/Serviced and Rental apartments.

fz22gq 11-12-2007 05:06 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM (Post 292047)
There are plenty of apartments in Tokyo under 200,000 a month. A 15 second search found new apartments in Roppongi for 150,000.

I live in a studio the was five minutes from the station, and a 12 minute ride from OJR Osaka that was 60,000 a month. The One bedroom apartments in my building were 80,000 or 90,000 I believe.

Sure, you can pay 10 times that if you want, but they are out there.

Tokyo Apartments. Furnished/Serviced and Rental apartments.
I think you said it all with "Studio" .... and Osaka is a different story to Tokyo in terms of living costs.

I also did my due diligence and looked long and hard and insprected many apartments like you mention for 150K in the pong. I guess it comes down to what level of accomodation you want to live in.

fz22gq 11-12-2007 05:15 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 291513)
I guess my life didn`t exist then. We lived in a 1 bedroom (not one room - separate kitchen and dining), 3 minutes from the station.

This wasn`t Tokyo, but either way, sounds like you`re either being ripped off or living in a luxury apartment. Neither of which I recommend for someone trying to get by on a budget or save money.

You don`t have to spend a huge amount to live in Japan. You CAN get by on very little. Is it a lot of fun? No, but if you`re making your living costs as low as possible, you have a lot more to spend on activities you enjoy.

Now, being as living comfortably is my current activity of choice (having a family does that to you), we spend like 350,000 a month on living expenses. But that doesn`t mean that you couldn`t get by on much much much less.
Totally agree, no point paying large amounts of coin if you're not earning much and looking to save.

I wouldn't call my apartment luxury but it is a 1LDK, 50sqm in Yoyogi only a few minutes walk from Yoyogi, Sangubashi and Minami Shinjuku stations.

I do agree you can get by on much less, the limit is endless, how far do you want to go and how much do you value luxuries.

Powermad147 11-12-2007 05:20 AM
I wonder how the prices vary in Japan? For example, how are the prices on gas over there? I've always liked what I've seen of Kyoto (fairly little though it may be), but for me, living in Japan is much more a dream than a reality. I have no grasp of languages, for one, and I doubt I could handle the stress of imigration, getting a Visa, etc. Visiting would be fun though...

jasonbvr 11-12-2007 07:00 AM
Gas is 140 yen a liter in Gunma. Which is high, it is usually mid 130's.

That is about 5 USD per gallon.

Powermad147 11-12-2007 07:12 AM
Ouch, thats killer...Remind me not to bother getting a car if i ever move to Japan xD. Hell, considering prices even here in the US, I may have to start brushing up on my bike skills if prices get any higher -_-" Hopefully they'll drop by the time I'm 16 =P

jasonbvr 11-12-2007 07:26 AM
Compared to how much my friends spend on trains and taxis, it is not that bad. And I can transport a lot more stuff now. If you live in Gunma and want to have a life, you pretty much have to know someone with a car or have one yourself.


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