Choosing Your Perfect City - Pt 1 TOKYO
Hello again everyone, how are you doing? Wonderfully I hope. The winter is in full swing here and it is nice and crisp outside with the lovely gray rainy skies and flu outbreak that comes with it. So lovely....
To pass the time and honestly avoid going outside, it is time for a new post!
Originally I had planned on making this just one post instead of a series but as I started writing this down, I realized it was become rather lengthy. So best to separate it into parts to make it easier on you guys.
Alright, enough with the intro lets get into it!
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Okay, you have prepared everything in anticipation for your move to Japan, now what? Well my friends, now it is time for you to pick the perfect city for you to live in and call home. While you may not have much of a choice depending on the job you are offered, you have most likely been checking out the job postings online and noticed that there are English teaching jobs all over the county. So how do you narrow it down to a certain city or area of the country to live in?
Well my friend, it is time to ask yourself a very important question. "What do I want in my life outside of work?" If you are someone who enjoys the bustling city life, then you might want to consider some of the major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto. However, if you are the type of person who enjoys nature and the solitude of living outside of the city you might want to have a look at places such as, Gifu (a personal favorite of mine), Nagano, Kyushuu, or any of the other remote locations that are offered through the various teaching programs you will find.
Before we can start talking about cities and fun and not so fun parts each have to offer lets first set some ground rules as to what we are going to be discussing through out this series of posts.
To start things off we are going to look at the three big costs that you are going to need to cover monthly no matter where you choose to live:
Rent - average price of a comfortable 1 bed apartment
Utilities - Water/Electric/Gas/etc
Living Costs - Food/Transportation/etc
After we have those covered we can then talk about the other aspects of each city, such as:
Quality of life
Ease of getting around
Attractions and Entertainment
Community
This is pretty much going to cover all of the basics that the average person is looking for when moving to a new city. Of course, you may have your own personal preferences that I didn't include in the above lists, and that is where you are going to have to do some additional research on your own. Sorry.
Before we dive into our first city, lets make a couple quick assumptions. Yes, I know the saying about assumptions but here they are necessary for us to make. First lets assume that you are going to be teaching English. Let's be honest maybe about 80% of the foreigners you are going to meet in Japan are doing the same thing. Next lets assume that this is the first year you are going to be in the company meaning your salary is going to be roughly 円250,000 per month ($2280 per month at the time of writing this).
Alright, with those assumptions in mind lets continue onto our first city we are going to take a look at.
TOKYO
Ah yes, Tokyo.. The holy mecca of Japanese cities. Is there anything else that comes to mind when you or your friends think of Japan? Of course not! Everyone and their grandmother knows Tokyo. It is a wonderful city able to offer its residents a wide variety of options of lifestyle and entertainment. Throughout the city there are several distinct districts that all feel like mini cities within the larger city. No matter your life style or hobby you will most likely be able to find something in this mecca that is going to meet your needs. An absolutely gorgeous city that is a blast to spend time in.
However, all of that comes at a cost to you. While everyone loves spending time in Tokyo, it is not the cheapest of cities to live in, especially when we make the assumption that you are going to be living on an English teacher's salary.
HOUSING (don't expect to be living somewhere super nice)
Okay, so first lets decide what is important to you. Do you want to be living in the city center or are you willing to deal with a 30 minute or more commute whenever you want to go out for the night? If are one of the people who want to live in the center of the city you are going to be paying a premium for that. If you are willing to live outside of the center of the city, you will be able to find something nicer at a cheaper cost.
With that being said, according to Numbeo.com, the average cost of a 1 bed apartment in the center of Tokyo is going to cost about 円116,098 per month. While if you are willing to live outside of the city center, and tolerate the commute, you are looking at an average rent of 円73,666 per month for a 1 bed apartment.
WOW! That is a huge difference in the cost of rent. It is one of the main factors that keeps many of the English teachers here from moving to Tokyo and has personally kept me from moving there as well. It's just too damn expensive compared to other cities and the quality and size of an apartment you can get for the same money or less.
Sidenote:
If you don't know anything about Japanese apartments, know this, they are small. When looking at apartment listings on the internet, if you are unfamiliar with the system you may be asking yourself, "What the hell does 1R, 1K, 1DK, and 1LDK mean?!". Let's make it simple for you and break it down.
For each of the different styles of apartments the cost does increase however. Start with 1R being the cheapest and 1LDK being the most expensive.
Alright end of the sidenote, now lets get back to it and talk about utilities.
UTILITIES
Utilities, the necessary evil of life that we all wish we could get away without paying but unfortunately have to in order to survive the struggles of the modern world. But what utilities to you need to pay in Japan? Well that's easy. It's the same as you do at home. You need to cover the basics, Electric, Gas, Water, and Internet.
There are several things you can do to lower the price of each of these monthly bills, such as not running your air conditioner...ever, taking a shower only once every 2 days, or using only your mobile and forgetting about the internet all together. But, lets just assume that you are a normal human being and will be using all of these things regularly.
Referencing Numbeo, the average cost of utilities per month in the city of Tokyo is around 円20,946 per month. This cost is figuring in the cost of internet. If you are going to include internet in your monthly utilities, you can add an average of about 円4,000 per month to it.
HOLY SMOKES BATMAN! Now we are looking at about 円25,000 per month add on top of our rent! It's starting to look like a better choice to not live in the center of Tokyo now eh?
TRANSPORTATION
When it comes to transportation I can't really help you very much because it all depends on where you decide to live and where you work. I can however tell you that most of the Eikaiwa schools require you to travel to a different location, either once a day or in some cases twice a day. These costs an add up slowly over time, and you also need to factor in your personal traveling cost.
To be safe I would say that you should estimate anywhere from 円10,000 - 円15,000 per week into your transportation costs. This is just a safe number that covers your work and personal expenses.
Using that budget, it would bring your monthly total to something around 円40,000 per month on public transportation.
Now we are hitting the point where you might be looking at the costs of living and thinking, "WTF How am I supposed to afford all of this?!" Before you start to panic, keep in mind that most of the companies that require you to travel for your job will reimburse you for your transportation costs. Meaning at the end of the month, the only money that comes out of your pocket is your personal transportation. But it is still a good habit to go ahead and budget in the total cost.
ENTERTAINMENT AND ENJOYING LIFE
Here we are finally! All of the expenses are paid and we are now free to do what we want with the rest of our money. But how much do we have left to spend?
Lets take a look at our monthly numbers again:
Salary - 円250,000
Rent - (円 116,098)
Utilities - (円 20,946)
Internet - (円 4,000)
Transportation - (円 15,000) x 4
Total after expenses - 円 48,956
That leaves us with about $500 a month to play around with and get the things done that we want to do. What you do with this money is totally up to you, however do keep in mind that you will have to buy your food and pay your monthly city tax and health insurance as well. This cost will depend on the type of company you a working for and the various insurances that they offer as well as what city you decide to live in.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So there it is folks, a quick break down of what it would look like to live in Tokyo city living on an English teacher's salary. Do you think this is doable? Did you read through this and think that everything seemed to be reasonable, or are you wanting to get something cheaper to leave yourself with more money at the end of the day?
Personally, I think that the cost of living in Tokyo compared to some of the other cities throughout Japan is a little too high for me. However if you are someone who is only going to be taking a 1 year contract and then returning home after the year is up, maybe Tokyo would be the perfect place for you to look at moving to. There is plenty to do, a great community of people interested in all sorts of hobbies, and one of the greatest night lives in Japan.
As always, thank you for reading! If you would like to leave a comment please do and let me know what you are thinking. If there is a certain city you would like for me to talk about next, or anything that you would like for me to write about please leave a comment and let me know what you want to hear about!
Until next time, stay safe, stay warm, and live your best life!
To pass the time and honestly avoid going outside, it is time for a new post!
Originally I had planned on making this just one post instead of a series but as I started writing this down, I realized it was become rather lengthy. So best to separate it into parts to make it easier on you guys.
Alright, enough with the intro lets get into it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, you have prepared everything in anticipation for your move to Japan, now what? Well my friends, now it is time for you to pick the perfect city for you to live in and call home. While you may not have much of a choice depending on the job you are offered, you have most likely been checking out the job postings online and noticed that there are English teaching jobs all over the county. So how do you narrow it down to a certain city or area of the country to live in?
Well my friend, it is time to ask yourself a very important question. "What do I want in my life outside of work?" If you are someone who enjoys the bustling city life, then you might want to consider some of the major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto. However, if you are the type of person who enjoys nature and the solitude of living outside of the city you might want to have a look at places such as, Gifu (a personal favorite of mine), Nagano, Kyushuu, or any of the other remote locations that are offered through the various teaching programs you will find.
Before we can start talking about cities and fun and not so fun parts each have to offer lets first set some ground rules as to what we are going to be discussing through out this series of posts.
To start things off we are going to look at the three big costs that you are going to need to cover monthly no matter where you choose to live:
Rent - average price of a comfortable 1 bed apartment
Utilities - Water/Electric/Gas/etc
Living Costs - Food/Transportation/etc
After we have those covered we can then talk about the other aspects of each city, such as:
Quality of life
Ease of getting around
Attractions and Entertainment
Community
This is pretty much going to cover all of the basics that the average person is looking for when moving to a new city. Of course, you may have your own personal preferences that I didn't include in the above lists, and that is where you are going to have to do some additional research on your own. Sorry.
Before we dive into our first city, lets make a couple quick assumptions. Yes, I know the saying about assumptions but here they are necessary for us to make. First lets assume that you are going to be teaching English. Let's be honest maybe about 80% of the foreigners you are going to meet in Japan are doing the same thing. Next lets assume that this is the first year you are going to be in the company meaning your salary is going to be roughly 円250,000 per month ($2280 per month at the time of writing this).
Alright, with those assumptions in mind lets continue onto our first city we are going to take a look at.
TOKYO
Ah yes, Tokyo.. The holy mecca of Japanese cities. Is there anything else that comes to mind when you or your friends think of Japan? Of course not! Everyone and their grandmother knows Tokyo. It is a wonderful city able to offer its residents a wide variety of options of lifestyle and entertainment. Throughout the city there are several distinct districts that all feel like mini cities within the larger city. No matter your life style or hobby you will most likely be able to find something in this mecca that is going to meet your needs. An absolutely gorgeous city that is a blast to spend time in.
However, all of that comes at a cost to you. While everyone loves spending time in Tokyo, it is not the cheapest of cities to live in, especially when we make the assumption that you are going to be living on an English teacher's salary.
HOUSING (don't expect to be living somewhere super nice)
Okay, so first lets decide what is important to you. Do you want to be living in the city center or are you willing to deal with a 30 minute or more commute whenever you want to go out for the night? If are one of the people who want to live in the center of the city you are going to be paying a premium for that. If you are willing to live outside of the center of the city, you will be able to find something nicer at a cheaper cost.
With that being said, according to Numbeo.com, the average cost of a 1 bed apartment in the center of Tokyo is going to cost about 円116,098 per month. While if you are willing to live outside of the city center, and tolerate the commute, you are looking at an average rent of 円73,666 per month for a 1 bed apartment.
WOW! That is a huge difference in the cost of rent. It is one of the main factors that keeps many of the English teachers here from moving to Tokyo and has personally kept me from moving there as well. It's just too damn expensive compared to other cities and the quality and size of an apartment you can get for the same money or less.
Sidenote:
If you don't know anything about Japanese apartments, know this, they are small. When looking at apartment listings on the internet, if you are unfamiliar with the system you may be asking yourself, "What the hell does 1R, 1K, 1DK, and 1LDK mean?!". Let's make it simple for you and break it down.
- 1R - Here you are looking at a 1 Room apartment. That's all you will be gettting. If you are lucky there is a little place to put your stove and hopefully a toilet/shower combo. But if you are trying to go budget hard they probably will be dated and not have those things.
- 1K - With these apartments you will be getting a room and a hallway kitchen. Usually these apartments do have a toilet/shower combo in them. However, you will be lucky if there is a place to hook up a washing machine in some of the older ones.
- 1DK - Okay now we are talking a bit more normal. These are 1 room apartments with a kitchen and a small "dining" room. This dining room is usually attached to your main room and just makes the room a bit bigger so that you can add a small table if you wish to. These apartments will come with all the things that you need, kitchen area, bath, toilet, and washing machine hook up.
- 1LDK - This is the most expensive option and the most comfortable in my opinion. These are 1 bedroom apartments that also have a separate "living" room in them. They are the same set up as a 1DK just with an extra room. Personally it makes me feel as though I am not living in a closet.
For each of the different styles of apartments the cost does increase however. Start with 1R being the cheapest and 1LDK being the most expensive.
Alright end of the sidenote, now lets get back to it and talk about utilities.
UTILITIES
Utilities, the necessary evil of life that we all wish we could get away without paying but unfortunately have to in order to survive the struggles of the modern world. But what utilities to you need to pay in Japan? Well that's easy. It's the same as you do at home. You need to cover the basics, Electric, Gas, Water, and Internet.
There are several things you can do to lower the price of each of these monthly bills, such as not running your air conditioner...ever, taking a shower only once every 2 days, or using only your mobile and forgetting about the internet all together. But, lets just assume that you are a normal human being and will be using all of these things regularly.
Referencing Numbeo, the average cost of utilities per month in the city of Tokyo is around 円20,946 per month. This cost is figuring in the cost of internet. If you are going to include internet in your monthly utilities, you can add an average of about 円4,000 per month to it.
HOLY SMOKES BATMAN! Now we are looking at about 円25,000 per month add on top of our rent! It's starting to look like a better choice to not live in the center of Tokyo now eh?
TRANSPORTATION
When it comes to transportation I can't really help you very much because it all depends on where you decide to live and where you work. I can however tell you that most of the Eikaiwa schools require you to travel to a different location, either once a day or in some cases twice a day. These costs an add up slowly over time, and you also need to factor in your personal traveling cost.
To be safe I would say that you should estimate anywhere from 円10,000 - 円15,000 per week into your transportation costs. This is just a safe number that covers your work and personal expenses.
Using that budget, it would bring your monthly total to something around 円40,000 per month on public transportation.
Now we are hitting the point where you might be looking at the costs of living and thinking, "WTF How am I supposed to afford all of this?!" Before you start to panic, keep in mind that most of the companies that require you to travel for your job will reimburse you for your transportation costs. Meaning at the end of the month, the only money that comes out of your pocket is your personal transportation. But it is still a good habit to go ahead and budget in the total cost.
ENTERTAINMENT AND ENJOYING LIFE
Here we are finally! All of the expenses are paid and we are now free to do what we want with the rest of our money. But how much do we have left to spend?
Lets take a look at our monthly numbers again:
Salary - 円250,000
Rent - (円 116,098)
Utilities - (円 20,946)
Internet - (円 4,000)
Transportation - (円 15,000) x 4
Total after expenses - 円 48,956
That leaves us with about $500 a month to play around with and get the things done that we want to do. What you do with this money is totally up to you, however do keep in mind that you will have to buy your food and pay your monthly city tax and health insurance as well. This cost will depend on the type of company you a working for and the various insurances that they offer as well as what city you decide to live in.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So there it is folks, a quick break down of what it would look like to live in Tokyo city living on an English teacher's salary. Do you think this is doable? Did you read through this and think that everything seemed to be reasonable, or are you wanting to get something cheaper to leave yourself with more money at the end of the day?
Personally, I think that the cost of living in Tokyo compared to some of the other cities throughout Japan is a little too high for me. However if you are someone who is only going to be taking a 1 year contract and then returning home after the year is up, maybe Tokyo would be the perfect place for you to look at moving to. There is plenty to do, a great community of people interested in all sorts of hobbies, and one of the greatest night lives in Japan.
As always, thank you for reading! If you would like to leave a comment please do and let me know what you are thinking. If there is a certain city you would like for me to talk about next, or anything that you would like for me to write about please leave a comment and let me know what you want to hear about!
Until next time, stay safe, stay warm, and live your best life!
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