I am about to work for an american bank in Tokyo. Could anyone advise me on the cost of living in Tokyo?

Question

Cost of living e.g. rental, food, tax rate etc

Answer 1

It sounds as though you have been hired by the American bank in the U.S. Don't you get an expatriate package? If not, you could be in for a big sticker shock. Good thing about Tokyo is that there is really no "bad neighborhoods" as there are in the U.S. that you want to avoid at all costs. Assuming your office is in central Tokyo, and you're willing to commute 30 minutes each way, you can find a 300 sq. ft. apartment for $900 and up. Upon moving in, have six times the rent (in this case, $5,400) ready to hand over to the real estate agent (first and last months' rent, two months as deposit, and two months as "thank you" money to landlord). I think dining out for average folks is cheaper in Tokyo because of the variety of inexpensive eateries and the lack of tipping. Sure, it's easy to spend $1,000 per person at a nice joint, but it's just as easy to find a nice lunch for $5 per person.

Answer 2

I lived with my husband in Yokosuka. He was in the Navy. We came to Japan with over four thousand dollars and we spent all of it within a few weeks of moving plus the Navy helped us with some of our move in expenses. Our apartment was 110,000 yen a month, a little over a thousand dollars a month, and it was about 600 square feet. Tokyo is much more expensive, however. Food can be expensive depending on what you eat. If you live on ramen noodle bowls that would be a cheap way to go for food. The sales tax rate in Japan is 5% everywhere. Good luck with your move. Enjoy!

Answer 3

One of the highest in the world..Good luck