220k income and 80k rent doable in Tokyo?

I've been hired in a Japanese company in Minato, Tokyo, as a new graduate with 220 000 yen gross pay, according to my company I'd get around 190 000 yen net pay + commuting allowance.

So far I've been looking for apartments under 63 000 yen as that's one third of my net pay and aiming for a place that's only 30-40 minutes away from my workplace, such as Setagaya.

My company says I can go up to 85 000 yen for rent but I find that a bit questionable as that's almost a little under half of my net pay. However, being in the 70k/80k yen range would greatly expand my range of apartments within the 23 wards.

I was wondering how high can I go with rent for an apartment with my current income.

(As a separate follow-up question, I was thinking of renting a temporary apartment (’ZŠú’À‘݃Aƒp�[ƒg) or possible AirBnb for 1 month and as soon as I arrive trying to get a long-term place, is this a safe choice?)

Thanks for the help!

In Japan, it'd be often adviced you need to keep your rent 1/3 or lower of after-tax income not to go bunkrupt.
So, if your income is 190k, an apartment for 60k including common charges (ŠÇ—�”ï in Japanese) should be suitable for you.

only 30-40 minutes away from my workplace, such as Setagaya.

Setagaya is one of the more expensive wards in Tokyo. I personally do like it and lived there, but there are more economical options.

Depending on where you work in Minato (I also worked in Minato) , places such as Koto-ku , Ota-ku or Kawasaki over in Kanagawa are more economic choices.

Regarding renting first a temporary place, I would agree. So you can have a bit of time to search for yourself for an apartment.

Some companies Help their employees in searching for an apartment. Eg through a rental agency. And more importantly if you have that possibility some of the fees might be waved.
If you go all private (ie no help from your company in searching for the apartment), then be prepared to pay 5-6 monthly rents in ADVANCE before even moving into your place. This also severely limits the choices of apartments you have as you need to have that money upfront.

This explains this well: https://resources.realestate.co.jp/rent/upfront-cost-of-renting-an-apa...

If your company can help, it gets cheaper. Eg by waiving the guarantator fee. So I would ask them if they have such a scheme.

1: Going from 60k to 80k you go a long way up in quality - more space and nicer. Living in a 1R is doable for some people (and I've seen places like that), but doesn't suit everyone.
2: Staying within the 23 wards is a pointless restriction - heading a small way out can dramatically lower your rent. The PP suggestion of Kawasaki is a good one (it's a nice city) and I found the wards of Ota/Kamata pleasant enough the times I have visited. 30-40 minutes can get you a long way, and many people commute a lot longer/further.
3: A big factor for rent is the walk to/from the nearest station. (or train/bus combination) But that has limitations - when I look at rental costs there is a basic "this is how much for a room" and then there are add-ons for those nice to have (like location).
4: Using the 1/3rd metric for accommodation is like many other "rules" - it's not a rule and it doesn't suit everyone. You need to work out how much everything else is going to cost as well (resident tax, food, utilities, phone/internet, other expenses - clothes, entertainment etc). If you can manage to cover an 80k/month rent and all those other things, then going above 1/3rd would be fine.

For the last six months my base average monthly expenditure has been around 160k/month for pretty much everything, and it's around an hour for me to get to Minato ward - depends where in Minato I would need to get to.

It depends a lot on your life style.

I spend around 140k every month, with a 83 rent included, it is a bit past the 1/3 rule and it works fine for me. I cook like 3 times a week, and usually go out for dinner in the weekends.

One thing to be aware of is that transportation in Japan can be very expensive, and it is calculated by how far you travel everyday... so don't fall for the trap of paying 10k less of rent but being considerably far away from work and then paying those 10k back in extra transportation costs, AND taking longer to get to work (trust me it happens)... If you can go to work with one line within 20~30 minutes (not counting the walk to and from the station) it should be cheap enough 150-220 yen for a one way ticket... a little over that and it can go up to 400 yen, it adds up pretty easy imo.

I did not answer it though.... I feel that with a 220k salary you should keep your rent range from 60~70k, I feel like 80k is a bit too much, and it will tight your budget.

You are probably young and want to spend more money in activities / hobbies and not just bills... also good to have some spare money if any emergency comes up.