free domain HQ

What is the cost of living for an expat in Tokyo, apartment, weekly food bill, night out, meal at restuarant?

What would be the extras, for living in Tokyo as an expat, where is best place to have an apartment, office is in Imperial Palace area, near to what subways, any web addresses appreciated. Costs of a typical apartment, night out, food etc

Public Comments

1. sleep in the capsule hotel. the cheapest.
2. Have a look at http://tokyo.asiaxpat.com/property/serviced.asp you can see rent starts at 315,000 per month (3,266 dollars) and rise to 1,500,000 yen per month (15,555 dollars). The popular areas are Aoyama and around Omotesando station/near the Prada shop. Hiro and Roppongi are also popular. This site looks like it has all the answers for you. http://www.oceans.co.jp/property_aoyamaomotesando.html I can have a good night out on 5,000 yen (50 dollars) so you can multiply this a few times over because expats aren't thrifty. TTC
3. I believe you are going to stay for a long period, so you will be keen to rent a small apartment rather than staying in a Hotel. So, Tokyo center, and in particular the area were the office is located, is one of the most expensive lodging. Some glossy apartments can even raise up-to 500.000 Yen per month. Standard apartments (less than 30-40 m2) can also be rented at 100.000 - 150.000 . I also recommend to study the option to live in a nearby city, which considering the well organize commuting network in Japan is quite convenient. You will need to spend time in the trains, 1-2 commutes and cope with the rush hours which are really crazy (6.30 to 8 am). But in terms of budget, living in a neighbor city is much cheaper and you get better apartments. I have seen 2 flat small house rented at 85.000 Yen in Saitama area but 60-90' till you reach Tokyo. In case of rental, be prepared to pay a deposit of many months (I have seen a normal deposit of 3 and even 4 months) and 1 month fee to the real state and owner, and other expenditures (key change, cleaning...) which makes the first down payment really painful. Eating out is not so much costly unless you get into fancy expensive restaurants. Incredibly, you also can get real nice bargains in Japan, specially nearby the train stations in their famous food shops and restaurants. Weekly expenditure really depends on you but as an average 8.000-10.000 Yen is more than sufficient. In case you like meat, off-season fruits and non Japanese ingredients (wine, olive oil, imported goods) be prepared to pay more. Also considere travelling within Japan is quite expensive.