Talking about Expenses

I've gotten asked a lot in the past month "Isn't living in Japan expensive?" And I really think this comes with a grain of salt. Is it expensive in a major city? Yes. It's the largest metropolis in the world with 37 million people. That means that you're going to pay for housing. If you were to put a hundred dollar bill on the ground, the land here in Tokyo would cost more than the value of that bill. You also pay for the convenience of things. Taxes are high, around 20 percent of your income. However, this covers your health care, garbage disposal, etc. If these weren't high, the city wouldn't work, and that's a fact that you have to live with.

Fruit is absurdly expensive here. The cheapest I've ever seen a watermelon here was 980 yen, around 10 dollars. Japan just can't produce the variety or the quantity necessary to feed all of the people here. Since it's imported, it's like Hawaii. It's expensive.

So what isn't expensive? Obviously I wouldn't write this post just to say exactly what everyone knows already. In some ways, Japan is easier to live in than the States. You can go to a restaurant for lunch and eat as cheap as 400 yen. I'm not going to it's the best-tasting food in the world, but it is better than McDonald's. You'll be able to get a main dish, some miso soup and rice all for the price of a Big Mac here at the fast food joints. You can easily spend 2000 yen, or 20 bucks at lunch though if you're not careful. All in all, restaurants are cheaper.

What about basic needs? In some ways, these are also cheaper than the States. You can buy towels, laundry and cleaning supplies at hyaku-en or dollar stores. You can get a pillow for 1000 yen and umbrellas for a few hundred yen. You can buy refill packages of your normal soap and shampoo for a few dollars less than the normal containers.

So, what are you paying for? You'll pay for electronics like rice cookers, refrigerators and washing machines. You pay for housing and other conveniences. So, is living in Japan expensive? If you buy major things like this? Yes. If you're renting an apartment or building a house? Absolutely. But in your day to day life, you can eat well and take care of your needs cheaper than the States.

I recommend buying clothing in the States since it's marked up double or triple the cost overseas. But it you're buying normal goods, buy them here. It will be cheaper in the long run.