Salary query

Hi everyone,

I have been offered a role in Tokyo at 7mln yen p/a gross, exclusive of bonus/overtime pay/commuting reimbursement etc.

I would be living on my own. I am keen to find a reasonable apartment (30+ square metres) within a few stations' distance from the centre. As I have never lived in Japan long-term, I was wondering how much I should budget for the apartment and living expenses. I would like to go out 2-3 times a week and live comfortably - am not too pressed to save at the moment.

I imagine similar threads have popped up before, but I am keen to know the lifestyle level I can expect with this income in Tokyo.

Thanks.

It sounds like decent salary, but I guess the "within a few stations' distance from the centre" might be an issue. A few stations means quite central, and that can be incredibly expensive. I believe the average commuting time in Tokyo is a bit above/around one hour. Also rent tends to be different depending on which residential area it is. Also eating out 2 - 3 times a week in what kind of environment, that would make a difference.

Thanks very much for getting back to me. I will consider settling about 20 mins from the centre in that case. Regarding going out, I meant mid-range places at about 3-4k yen perhaps.

Is 6 months' rent still the acceptable rule for getting into an apartment?

Thanks!

Good money - you can live comfortably for that.

You might want to be careful about the apartment cost as you can go from Y50k to Y1M/month pretty easily. Perhaps target Y100k-Y200k for something nice and central - you're paying for size and location. I know a lot of people that would find that outrageously expensive.

As for eating out, some newer apartments don't bother with kitchens because people eat out 7-days/week because it is cheap.

Thanks a lot; I guess it's now a matter of balancing between size and commute time. Any tips regarding good websites/agents to find a place?