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What's a healthy monthly budget living in Tokyo, sans rent?
I'm moving to Tokyo next month to start language school, and I'm in the process of shortlisting a number of apartments (rent is yikes within a reasonable distance of my scho… Hi all, nice to meet you!
I'm moving to Tokyo next month to start language school, and I'm in the process of shortlisting a number of apartments (rent is yikes within a reasonable distance of my school).
Rent aside, I wanted to ask what people consider to be a healthy monthly budget for living in Tokyo, including utilities for one person. I've been reading up on anecdotes from the last few years, but with how volatile the yen has been since the pandemic, I wanted to ask for folks' current perspectives.
I'd like to be able to explore and have fun going out a few times a week/month depending on costs. I'm confident cooking for myself, and I'm already trying to research cost-saving hacks like end of day sales at the grocery/konbini and alternative power providers to TEPSCO.
Should I be aiming for 50,000 a month excluding rent? 75,000?
Thank you very much for reading and any comments/advice!
yeah 75k is prob the sweet spot like the other person said. one thing they didn't mention is phone/internet tho. if you're not careful that can eat 6-8k a month easy. i use povo for data only and it's like 2k but you gotta be okay with no contract stuff.
also utilities wise, if you're in a newer building with gas instead of electric heating, winter bills are way more manageable. old leopalace apartments with shitty single-pane windows will drain your wallet in january. ask your real estate agent about that.
for food, ngl the real hack isn't konbini markdowns, it's going to gyomu super around 7pm when they slash meat prices. i got a whole chicken for 380 yen last week. freeze stuff immediately and you're set.
one random tip - join your local ward's facebook group or line group. people often give away furniture or kitchen stuff for free when they move. saves a ton on setup costs.
honestly 75k is more realistic if you want to actually go out and explore without stressing. 50k works if you're really disciplined but you'll prob end up eating a lot of convenience store food and skipping stuff you wanna do
utilities are about 8-10k for one person in a 1K, maybe more in winter with the heater. phone plan is another 3-4k if you go with povo or ahamo instead of the big carriers. gym membership runs 7-8k if you want one
my advice is aim for 75k and see how the first month goes. you can always tighten up if you find you're overspending. also don't bother with alternative power providers, the savings are tiny and the hassle isn't worth it for a single person
75k is the number most people land on but i'd actually say start with 85k for the first couple months while you figure things out. moving itself costs money - setup fees for gas/electric/water can be 5-10k upfront, plus you'll prob want to stock a pantry with basics like rice, oil, soy sauce that adds up fast.
one thing nobody mentioned is NHK fees. if you own a tv or any device that can receive broadcasts, they'll come knocking for about 1300 yen a month. you can dodge it by not answering the door but it's something to be aware of.
for groceries, nishikicho in kanda has this insane wholesale market area where regular people can shop in the mornings. i get 2kg of onions for 200 yen and a whole daikon for like 80 yen. way cheaper than any supermarket and the quality is better. just go before 11am on weekdays.
also check if your school has a student discount deal with any local gyms or cell providers. mine had a partnership with ahamo that got me 1500 yen off per month for two years. those little savings add up.
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.