Cost of moving in Japan
When you find a
job in Japan, it is necessary for you to also look for an apartment.
However, the costs and systems for
contracting an apartment and preparing for a new life are unique to Japan, and
many foreigners may be surprised at the differences!
In this article, we will introduce the costs
involved in moving to a new apartment.
If you are planning to find a job or change
jobs in Japan, please take a look at this article.
1. Rental rates
When you sign a contract for an apartment in
Japan, you generally pay rent on a month-to-month basis.
The rental rate varies
depending on the area where you live.
| | High Prefectures | Low Prefectures |
| 1st | Tokyo（68,773 yen） | Tottori Prefecture（38,724 yen）
|
| 2st | Kanagawa Prefecture（60,154 yen） | Oita Prefecture（38,813 yen）
|
| 3st | Osaka Prefecture（56,720 yen）
| Yamaguchi Prefecture（39,546 yen）
|
| 4st | Saitama Prefecture（54,307 yen）
| Achi Prefecture（39,692 yen）
|
| 5st | Chiba Prefecture（53,365 yen）
| Yamagata Prefecture（39,122 yen）
|
(Average rent per room / as of November 2022)
Rent
in large cities such as Tokyo and Osaka is higher than in rural areas far from
the cities.
Therefore,
many people living in urban areas save on rent by living in suburban apartments
and commuting to work while making good use of the workplace transportation
subsidy system.
Especially in large cities, public transportation is relatively
well developed, so commuting to work can be done without any inconvenience.
2 . Costs associated with moving
When
signing a contract for an apartment in Japan, it is common to sign a contract
with the landlord through a real estate agency.
The
initial cost of living alone ranges from 150,000 yen to 500,000 yen. The cost
varies depending on the property.
The
following items are included in the initial cost.
| Item name | Details |
| Deposit/敷金（Shikikin） | If damage or stain
occurs during the residence, it will be paid from the deposit when the tenant
moves out, and the difference will be refunded to the individual. The market
rate for a deposit is 1-2 months of the rental fee.
|
Key money/礼金（Reikin）
| Money which is paid to
the landlord as a token of appreciation. Key money is not refundable when you
move out. The market rate for key money is one to two months of the rental fee
* However, the number of properties without key money has been increasing
recently. |
| Rental fee/家賃（Yachin） | It is common to pay one
month's rent in advance.
|
| Referral fee/紹介手数料（Shoukai tesuryo） | This is a commission
paid to the real estate agency as a thank-you for introducing you to the
property. Generally, the commission is equivalent to one month's rent, but it
varies depending on the real estate, there is also "no commission” available. |
| Replacement of locks/鍵交換代（Kagi koukandai） | This is the cost of
replacing the locks in the resident's room. From a security perspective, it is recommended
that the locks be replaced with new locks when the tenant moves in. The cost is
approximately 10,000 yen. |
| Cleaning fee/クリーニング費（Kurininguhi） | Room cleaning costs at
move-out. Specialized contractors will handle this service. The market price is
15,000 yen to 30,000 yen. |
| Guarantee company fee/保証会社利用料金（Hoshougaisya Riyouryoukin） | A guarantee company is a
company that provides services in place of a guarantor. In the event of
nonpayment of rent, the guarantee company will replace the rent and pay it to
the landlord on behalf of the tenant. The fee for a guarantor company is 10,000
to 20,000 yen. |
Fire
insurance premium/火災保険料（Kasai hokenryou） | The basic fire insurance
policy is renewed for one year and costs approximately 10,000 to 20,000 yen. |
In addition to the above, you may also pay
neighborhood association fees for self-governing activities in a specific area
and Internet contract fees if you subscribe to the Internet with which your
apartment is already subscribed.
3. Utilities/Communications
When
moving in, tenants must contract for electricity/gas/water/internet.
In
Japan, services other than water are privatized and tenants are free to choose
their provider.
★Electricity
In
Japan, electricity was liberalized in 2016, and electricity, which previously
could only be contracted with local electric power companies,
can now be freely
contracted, including with new electric companies.
Until
now, the structure was unified as "basic charge + metered charge for the
amount used", but after liberalization,
"base charge 0 yen + metered
charge" and "charges change depending on time of day and season"
etc. There is a variety of pricing plans to suit your needs.
The
average electricity bill for a single person in 2022 is 6,808 yen.
Electricity
bills vary widely in level depending on the season.
In
a typical apartment in Japan, electricity bills tend to be higher in winter
because air conditioners are used as heaters in winter.
| | Electric charges |
| Spring (March to
mid-May) | 7,521 yen |
| Summer (June to
mid-August) | 5,687 yen |
| Autumn (September to
mid-November) | 6,724 yen |
| Winter (December to
mid-February) | 7,300 yen |
Reference：https://price-energy.com/energyprice/alone1
★Gas
In Japanese apartments, there are two types of gas supply methods, city gas, and propane gas.
| | City gas | Propane gas |
| Supply Method | Underground conduit | Cylinders to be installed in each house |
| Supply Area | Urban Center | Anywhere in the country |
| Difference in firepower | Few | A lot |
| Price | Cheap | Expensive |
City gas is characterized by service mainly
in urban areas, and gas is supplied from conduits located underground in
apartments.
The price is lower than that of propane gas.
Propane gas, on the other hand, can be used
anywhere in Japan, and gas is supplied from cylinders installed on the premises
of each apartment.
However, the cost of gas is approximately 1.8 times higher
than that of city gas.
The use of city gas and propane gas is not
a choice for tenants and is one of the facilities of the apartment. Therefore,
if
you want to save money on gas, we recommend that you look for a city gas property
when choosing an apartment.
In addition, city gas became "gas
deregulated" in 2017.
With the deregulation of gas, new electric
power companies have entered the market, and new types of contracts have been
created, such as a set contract for "electricity + gas".
The average gas bill is shown below.
As reported above, gas bills are relatively
low in urban areas due to the use of city gas in many cases In rural areas, gas
bills are relatively high because propane gas is used more often.
*Average gas bill for single person living
alone (Oct 2021-Sep 2022)
| Area | Average gas bill |
| Hokkaido and Tohoku Region | 3,413 yen/month |
| Kanto region | 2,909 yen/month |
| Hokuriku and Tokai regions | 3,250 yen/month |
| Kinki region | 3,147 yen/month |
| Chugoku/Shikoku Region | 2,905 yen/month |
| Kyushu/Okinawa Region | 2,945 yen/month |
★Water supply
Unlike electricity
and gas, water service is managed by the local government, and rates vary from
municipality to municipality.
The average water
bill for a single person in 2022 is approximately 2,116 yen/month. Depending on
the area, the maximum average difference is about 600 yen/month.
Average water bill for a single person in 2022
| Area | Average water bill |
| Hokkaido and Tohoku Region | 2,572 yen/month |
| Kanto region | 1,980 yen/month |
| Hokuriku and Tokai regions | 2,190 yen/month |
| Kinki region | 1,890 yen/month |
| Chugoku/Shikoku Region | 2,256 yen/month |
| Kyushu/Okinawa Region | 2,264 yen/month |
★Internet
Internet may be pre-installed in
some apartments, but in most cases, tenants sign up for it individually.
There are three main types of
Internet access available in apartments.
| | Pocket Wi-fi | Home Routers | Optical Fiber Network |
| Description | A portable, mobile line-based means of
communication. | Uses a mobile connection similar to pocket Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi can be used by simply plugging in the outlet at home | A means of communication with priority using
optical fiber. |
| Data capacity | Restrictions available
*Depends on contract | Limitless | Limitless |
| Line stability | △ | 〇 | ◎ |
| Slowdown in speed when sharing lines | Easy to happen | Easy to happen | Hard to happen |
| Line construction | Not necessary | Not necessary | Necessary |
| Low fees | ◎ | 〇 | △ |
| Available Locations | Everywhere | Only at home | Only at home |
| Time required to open | Same day same week | Same day same week | About 1 month |
Pocket Wi-Fi
The unique feature of pocket Wi-Fi is that it
is portable. While other Internet services are designed to be used at home,
Pocket Wi-Fi allows you to use the Internet even when you are away from home by
connecting to Pocket Wi-Fi.
Also, unlike other Internet services, the
period of use can be freely set, and there are no cancellation fees.
Fees range from 1,000 yen/month to 5,000
yen/month, depending on the plan you sign up for.
＊Recommended Users
・People who want to use the Internet outside
the home
・People who use the Internet alone
Home routers
Home routers are characterized by the fact
that they are hassle-free to install and the line is more stable than pocket
Wi-Fi.
Home routers do not require installation of
an Internet line at home, and a Wi-Fi environment can be created simply by
plugging in an electrical outlet.
Also, the Internet can be used at a
relatively stable speed even when many devices are connected at the same time.
The fee is approximately 4,000 yen to 5,000
yen/month.
However, please note that there may be a termination fee to pay for
the home router device or when terminating the contract within the contract
period.
＊Recommended Users
・Internet use is mainly for searching,
Instagram, Youtube, etc.
Optical Fiber Network
Optical Fiber Network has no limit on how
much you can use the Internet, and the speed of communication is very fast.
If you want to use the Internet for Youtube,
Netfilix, games, etc., an optical fiber line is recommended.
However, in order to use an optical line, you
need to have an installation work done. In addition, since the optical line is
wired,
if you wish to use WIFI, you will need to install a separate Wi-Fi
router.
Prices range from 3,000 yen to 5,000
yen/month. Some service providers may offer cash back if you use the service
for more than a certain period of time.
However, there may be a charge of approximately
10,000 yen for installation to open the service or a cancellation fee when
cancelling within the contract period,
so be sure to check this carefully when
signing the contract.
・Those who mainly use Youtube, Netfilix,
games, etc.
・Those who connect to multiple people and
multiple devices at the same time.
4. Conslusion
Some foreigners do not have a clear idea of
the costs involved in moving before finding a job or changing jobs, and are in
financial trouble just before moving.
Be sure to plan your job-hunting/career
change activities with preparation for the amount of money you will need to
spend in order to move in a new place in Japan.
