Cost of living in Tokyo

My company is offering an opportunity for me to relocate to Tokyo and I would like to get an idea of the cost of living there. The office is located in central Tokyo (Chiyoda) and I would like to rent a 1-bedroom apartment somewhere not too far away, preferably within 1/2 hr travel. I have been asking around and have heard figures between 80k to 130k. Can anyone verify this, or tell me why there is such a big range? I am also approximating that food will cost 2700 yen a day or ~80k a month. I have heard that lunch usually costs around 1000 yen, which leaves 1700 for breakfast and dinner. Is that a reasonable amount to eat comfortably? I do not expect to eat in restaurants every meal but also not eat at fast food / Yoshinoya every other day. I also don't expect to be cooking much, maybe just on the occasional weekend.
These are the 2 big ticket items I foresee. Apart from that, i am also factoring 20k yen for utilities and transport. Would like to know if there are other significant expenses, apart from entertainment/ leisure, which I may have miss. Really appreciate any advice on my estimates, thank you!

It depends on where you live, apartment age, size and other factors. People traveling 30mins or even over 1 hour is normal in Japan.


Yes you can live off that amount daily. I mean that's no more then what I spend on a daily basis, I actually spend cheaper since I usually don't eat breakfast other then bread or pastry item. If you shop at the market, cook for yourself, you shouldn't have much problems with that food budgeting.

Your company is not putting you in expat housing? If thats the case, then you might have to apartment-hunt on your own. My website (www.apartment-japan.com) gives very general info on the process but as far as numbers go...
1)If you're living alone and want to save cash on rent, you can find a place in the more outlaying wards like Toshima-ku or Kita-ku (30mins from Chiyoda-ku) for 65,000jpy to 90,000jpy depending on size/age/convenience. Chiyoda-ku is one of the more expensive wards in Tokyo and you might prefer being close to the office but you'll pay a lot more (perhaps even more than your original estimates for even a small apartment). I'd recommend 1R, 1DK, 1LDK types for living alone. You can visit my site or google the Japanese apartment terms to get an idea of their size and accommodations.
The reason for the wide range is reputation/land value, age of building, building features (autolocks, garbage service, etc.) and proximity to the best parts of Tokyo. The further you go from the center, the better deals you'll get.

The Namboku and Marunouchi subway lines personally I think are the best since they hit most of Tokyo's other lines. For example, I live in Kita-ku, I ride the Namboku line comfortably 30 mins and change only one time to a line that takes me to work, which is in Minato-ku (door-to-door 50mins-1hour)

2)If you plan to eat out 90% of your time in JPN, 2700 may be too conservative, but doable. Lunch will not cost you 1,000 yen if you know where to go. Knowing Chiyoda-ku, tons of office buildings make it a haven for mobile bento (lunch box) vans, curry stands and kebab vendors, etc. parked right near the the busiest street corners and alleys. Prices range from 450jpy-800jpy depending on the wares offered, throw in a soda and you'll be under 1,000jpy. Convenience stores also have tasty and nourishing lunch boxes, sandwiches, wraps, fried chicken, you name it, but even though I'm a big eater, I have never gone over 1,000jpy for lunch unless it was a sit-down restaurant, and even those places have great lunch deals (600jpy-1,000). I guess it boils down to how much you want to eat. The coffee shops chains like Doutor and Excelsior have good morning deals (open-faced toasted cheese sandwich + coffee) for 300-500jpy.
Dinner, if you plan to eat out a lot, is best done at 'Saizeriya', Denny's, Gusto or other family restaurants with decent menus. Of course, don't play it cheap all the time as you'll miss out on some of the best dining in Asia. Eating out every night will get expensive very quickly, so I'd advise finding an apartment in a relatively inexpensive neighborhood surrounded by mom and pop restaurants as well as chains. The area of Yotsuya and Ichigaya might be great for that.

3)Some other monthly costs:
-hi-speed internet - 6,000
-cable TV (not sure of price)
-air conditioning unit, which may not come with your apartment (but most units do have one)
-7,000jpy smart phone bill with unlimited packet plan, but there are cheaper phones
-10,000jpy or less for a bicycle (great for inner city travel!)

Hope this helps!

..I have lived in several countries and towns in Europe and North America and it is not uncommon for many people living in a big town to rent a place 40 min-1hr from work in order to save money on rent (or mortgage if one buy a place).
I am not great cook but always had a hearty breakfast at home and brought my home-made lunch to work, like many people, in order to both save money and have a healthier diet.
Or I ate a cheap lunch and cooked diner at home.
You don' say where you are from, but isn't it what average workers do in your country too??

All the information has certainly been helpful, thanks! I'm from Singapore and it's common to travel an hour to work as well. Eating out is fairly common since it's relatively cheap to do so. May need more information in the weeks to come, so many thanks in advance!