How much should we factor in for food

Hi my trip plans are almost complete, now comes the nasty part of $$.

I have dealt with accomodations and plane tix. Can I check if 1,200yen for 2 per meal on average is it possible and what can we expect for that price?

Thanks

600 per person per meal is doable but you will be eating fast food, noodles, 100 yen sushi, and gyudon pretty much the entire time.

I'd estimate more like 1000 yen for a lunch sets and 1500-2000 yen for dinners per person at regular restaurants.

I agree with the previous post. back in North America I have to spend 8$ for a sandwich and coffee so 1000 yen for lunch isn't that expensive, especially in big towns like Tokyo, Osaka etc. by the way taxes are included and there is no tipping.

I also agree that with 1200 you would be stuck eating nothing but fast food... although you can probably find some cheap lunches in shopping districts and train stations. I would budget around 2000-3000 yen per person per day, but there will of course be days you eat more cheapily and days you eat more expensive food.

However... if you stay at a place with a kitchen you can always cook for yourself and eat a little more cheapily. Grocery stores also often have cheap store-made meals. I often buy sushi from the grocery store instead of going out because it is much cheaper and still very good.


I eat at Yoshinoya pretty regularly when I am in Japan; I love gyudon and curry... and as a bonus it is pretty cheap. Example of gyodon (beef bowl) prices: http://www.yoshinoya.com/shop/menu/index.html

Let me add to what I said a little... I would say you can do 2000 per person a day if you are frugal, but you should budget higher if you can just to give yourself breathing room.

I haven't been in Japan in several years (too long! going back in May) so prices may have changed somewhat... but on previous trips I always budgeted about 2000-2500 for me because I am not a big eater. My eating habits usually were to grab small snacks throughout the day like rice balls and sandwiches from the convenience store or food from street vendors, and then grab food from the grocery store or have a meal out somewhere if I was hungry at dinner time. I think I normally spent less than 2000, but otherdays I spent more so it evened out.

I guess a good rule would be to look at what you eat now... if you eat out all the time what would it cost you? That is about what it will cost you in Japan, although dinners do tend to me a little more expensive there. Just like anywhere else there will be cheap places to eat and there will be places you can spend ridiculous amounts... it just seems that the cheap places are fewer when it comes to dinner.

And of course, there is always an abundance of instant noodles :) Wouldn't recommend that for nutrition though...

As well as fast food there is the convenience store option if you want to stay in that budget, However I also agree that it is not enough. For breakfast and perhaps lunch it's okay, but it's not going to get you a decent dinner and it doesn't allow for snacks and drinks. Allow 1200 for a light breakfast perhaps, 1800 for lunch and at least 2000 for dinner, if you want to try anything other than chain stores and convenience stores.

I don't mind 7/11 meals (my friends took some pics of the bento sets and they look real good).

As we will be staying over the new year holidays, we intend to have a nice dinner on NYE (maybe a crap hotpot) so I know we will need to spend abit for that meal (any good place to recommend?). But on average I believe 2,000 Yen per person per meal should be quite comfortable right?

I am surprised that some people have a daily budget of over 2000 yen for food, while they are travelling. Do you eat out three times a day?
While traveling in Japan, I usually stick by something between 800 and 1500 yen, this includes a sandwich, a bento/eating at a yoshinoya or some other kind of eatery and something to drink. Sometims more, sometimes less.
Well, I don't need that much while travelling. :)
Of course my living budget for food is also higher.

Of course, if you eat at a real restaurant, expect to pay more.

Bryan,

2000 yen per person per meal is more than enough to not feel restricted in where and what you can eat.

Yes, you can survive on 1200 yen per person per day, but food is definitely a part of the travel experience and trying more than budget food can make the difference between a good trip and a great trip.

For me, I budget around 3000 yen per day for food. Sometimes I spend less, sometimes way more, but it all evens out in the end. I also try to go out to one good (read relatively expensive) meal per trip.

My suggestion is to treat the food like an attraction itself and you will enjoy your trip that much more.

. . . a meal for 600 yen or less you'll have to stick to the soba stands at trains stations. Or obentos, but obentos can sometimes run more than 600 yen (just keep away from the Ekiben outlets). I would certainly avoid eating at airports. 600 yen might get you four gyozas.

At mainstream restaurants, 1000-1500 yen should get you a decent teishoku.

If you want to try Kobe or Matsuzaka beef, figure at least 4500-5000 yen for a 160 gm steak. If you are spending less than 3000 yen for a steak dinner in Yamagata, it's not Yamagata beef.

A high-end fugu teishoku in Shimonoseki or flatfish teishoku in Iwaki will run around 5000 yen also. The latter are similar to a ryokan meal. Is it worth it? I ask myself how often will I be back here? I take the plunge.

If you buy snacks such as cuttlefish or octopus or mochi/manju at gift shops you can blow 1000 yen a package or box.

Many hotels offer breakfast for a small additional cost. Places like the Shinagawa Prince in Shinagawa has a great breakfast buffet. Might be worth while to check with the hotels you've booked to see if they offer meals.

Hi Why don't you say what you would like to eat for
breakfast, lunch and tea and
people can give a rough idea
of how much.
In Oct this year I ate in hotels in morning, near train stations at lunch time and close to malls at night and I was spending about 5000 to 6000 yen per day.
Not including snacks on shinkazen trains.
It was always fun for me to pick a place to eat and try something new.
Kiwi