So.
You've researched into the deep corners of the internet and you've somehow come across this page. You've read all the guidebooks, every blog and you've watched every youtube video about living in Japan under the internet sun (or a filament desk lamp). But, something just draws you to Tokyo...
Of course, if you chose to live outside of the major cities, making money and saving more of it would be much easier. But, since we're talking about Tokyo salaries, here we go!
Please note that in your second year of living in Japan, residence tax, national pension, income tax (if it's not deducted from your salary automatically) and national health insurance premiums will all start to kick in and slowly eating away at your grocery budget.
I will be basing my calculations on the current tax rates which are as follows:
- If you earn 1.95 million yen your taxable income rate is 5%
- If you earn 1.95-3.3 million yen per year the rate is 10%
- if you earn 3.3-6.95 million yen per year the rate is 20%
- if you earn 6.95-9 million per year the rate is 23%
On top of all of that, a flat rate of 4% will be added to pay for prefectural taxes.
For more exact numbers I found this site useful, The Japan Tax Calculator
210,000 yen per month
Let's start with the lowest. If you like sharing a room with eight other people this is the spot for you. With this salary, you can easily tuck into those conbini dinners each night. You'll be able to explore your artistic flare at various concoctions of rice, natto, nametake, tofu and seaweed. You could even save a few pennies by skipping eating altogether. You could live up to that "starving artist" stereotype at its best. Hobbies? Forget that, you're a true artist that doesn't need hobbies since all you can afford to do is to live, eat and breathe. Just like the greats in past times.No, but seriously,
ANYTHING lower than this please run away. But, wait you're probably an artist and can't control your income month to month. Ok, so you can't run away but you have to SAVE those pennies.
Honestly, if you can survive on this per month. Please message me, what book are you reading? I need to know
Cost Breakdown:
If we assume,
Rent - 60,000
Gas, Water, Electric - 12,000
Internet - 4,000
Food - 30,000
Tax - 52,500
Transport - 10,000
Total = 168,500 a month
So you'd have around 51,500yen spending cash.
For transport, if you work for a company, most companies will reimburse your travel expenses the following month. But if you're mainly freelance or working from home. Just don't leave the house.
250,000 yen per month
With this much, you'll be able to quite comfortably pay your rent and utilities, and be able to leave the house once in a while to grab coffee with a fellow artist friend. You would have also updated your conbini a la carte cuisine to your new second home 'Saizeriya'. Your main method of transport will still mostly be on foot, but you can nab a free rusted old bicycle from craigslist. You are living the dream. For entertainment, you can take part in any of the free events surrounding your local area like sitting in the park or wandering the streets looking for uniquely Japanese landscapes to add to your portfolio. Dating? You can still forget that unless you're planning on living together which will practically halve most of your bills.
Cost Breakdown:
If we assume,
Rent - 80,000
Gas, Water, Electric - 12,000
Internet - 4,000
Food - 30,000
Tax 25% - 62,500
Transport - 10,000
Total = 198,500 yen a month
Notice I upped the rent a bit as well as the tax accordingly, leaving you 51,500yen to use however you please. Of course, if you share an apartment with a significant other or have roommates and are as frugal as hell, you can save a bit more than the above-mentioned 51,500yen per month.
270,000 yen per month
You're still not hitting the big bucks but now you're able to afford to take the train once in while. This salary coincides with the typical eikaiwa teacher's monthly income. You can now move out of share housing and either get a roommate or live in government housing within 1-2 hours commute from the city centre. You can finally upgrade your client meeting to Mos Burger or just stick to e-mail correspondence using next door's internet. By this point, you will still be rationing art supplies but you'll be able to replace any well-loved tools twice a year.
Cost Breakdown:
If we assume,
Rent - 80,000
Gas, Water, Electric - 12,000
Internet - 4,000
Food - 30,000
Tax 25% - 67,500
Transport - 10,000
Total = 203,500 yen per month
After bills, you would have around 66,500yen left at the end of the month to use freely. It's still nothing to write home about but at least you have a bit more breathing room than before. You'll also begin to notice that the more money you start to earn the more you end up paying in taxes.
300,000 yen per month
Congratulations! You've finally made it out of the poverty line. No more conbini dinners and no more Saizeriya dinner dates. You are living!You can finally enjoy the fruits of your labour and start paying back those maxed out credit cards and start crying over your tax returns with a bottle of wine. Netflix? Check! Make sure to upgrade your Tumblr account to a new and groovy WordPress template now that you can afford the monthly premiums. For accommodation, you can finally live 30-40 minute commute away from the city centre.
You can also switch up your client meetings to hipster drip coffee joints in Daikanyama, or even try Starbucks and buy yourself a sakura flavoured Frappuccino, you've earned it!
Cost Breakdown:
If we assume,
Rent - 100,000
Gas, Water, Electric - 12,000
Internet - 4,000
Food - 30,000
Tax 25% - 75,000
Transport - 10,000
Total = 231,000 per month
Leaving you around 69,000 yen a month for spending cash. I upped the rent here since at this point it's not uncommon for some to start to move into bigger apartments and possibly start a family.
350,000 yen per month
You are most likely making more than your peers at this point, as well as the general local populous. You'll finally be able to afford an actual bed instead of sleeping on a futon on the floor. Also, you can finally get that neck zit checked out at an English speaking doctor in Roppongi along with getting treatment for your back problems from sleeping on the floor all those years.
You can also start hosting gallery events showing your artwork or being a part of a group show now that you can afford the gallery rental fees.
Gone are the days of living as a "starving artist" in Japan. You can finally walk into your favourite restaurant Saizeriya and order the entirety of the menu. Still using that old WordPress site? Now you can upgrade your site and attach an online store selling your new collection of buttons.
Tokyo salaries aren't great so most of the people you meet here won't be the 'get rich quick' types but, will actually appreciate what this beautiful city has to offer. Most Japanese nationals here will never see this kind of money, but they also know where all the bargains are and also get sent a 1-tonne bag of rice from their families in the countryside if they aren't already living with them.
Cost Breakdown:
If we assume,
Rent - 100,000
Gas, Water, Electric - 12,000
Internet - 4,000
Food - 30,000
Tax 25% - 87,500
Transport - 10,000
Total = 253,500 yen per month
Leaving you with 56,500 yen per month spending cash. It starts to get annoying since the more you earn the more tax you pay and the more you move to a bigger place you end up with around the same spending cash. Of course, you can change any of these figures based on your personal lifestyle expenses, so use this as a guideline and not concrete data.
400,000 yen per month and above
You are now entering territory that has not been travelled by many but, you are living the life! You can afford a car, a nice mattress, a TV and a much bigger apartment. Also, you can possibly live 20 minutes away from any major station in Tokyo, as well as treat yourself to a new Wacom tablet or iPad and start working on your digital illustrations. You could even start a new youtube channel showing off your growing collection of the latest camera gear.
Some people come to Japan in much more fortunate circumstances like being sent from their company from overseas on an expat package, living in an apartment in Roppongi with all their meals paid for. They will most certainly have a different outlook on life compared to those that haunt the discount sushi aisles at 10pm in the grocery stores.
Cost Breakdown:
If we assume,
Rent - 160,000 +
Gas, Water, Electric - 12,000
Internet - 4,000
Food - 30,000
Tax 25% - 100,000 +
Transport - 10,000
Total = 316,000 + yen/month
Leaving you with around 81,000yen spending cash a month or more.
Is Japan Expensive?
Of course, everyone has their own standard of living. For example, one of my friends needed to live within a 100-meter radius of four different dance studios, whereas, it could be something totally different for someone else.
If you're more of a homebody, prefers cooking at home, hates drinking, socialising or shopping then your living costs will be significantly different to someone that does.For artists, a lot of the art stores in Tokyo only sell quality products so you'll usually end up paying a pretty penny to update your tools. For printing costs and paper materials like business cards, flyers, posters and banners for yourself or your clients, this can also be costly as there aren't many affordable options around. Renting gallery space or renting a table at an art show can also add to the costs.
The worst thing you could do is to think that 250,000 yen is worth this much currency in your home country, so therefore you'll survive. This oftentimes doesn't work out. Most people gravely forget about the cost of train tickets, apartment down payment, buying a suit, going to the foreign supermarkets for cheese and that return ticket back home once a year to see your family. At the end of the day, it depends on how much money you think you need to live on, and Japan is quite possibly one of the perfect places to test that.
If there's anything I missed, or if there's anything wrong with my figures (I'm not a mathematician) please feel free to let me know! As I hate the idea of misleading anyone due to my incessant typos or lack of knowledge in a certain area.
Enjoy your time in Japan!
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