Monthly Utility Costs in Tokyo
I lived for a bit by myself and then moved in with my then girlfriend now wife into a different apartment, so I’ll be sharing how much monthly utility costs were at each.
To preface, I’d just like to state that there are of course variables that can affect your overall monthly cost of living, and cost of utilities as well, so I’ll also share some of my personal situations and choices so you can have a little more context.
First, these are the two apartments I’ll be comparing:
1K studio (1 room + kitchen), 24 sq. meters (258 sq. ft.), 1 AC/heater unit
1LDK (1 bedroom + living room, dining area, kitchen), 47.15 sq. meters (506 sq. ft.), 2 AC/heater units
Furthermore, there are 2 general types of apartments in Japan - “aparto / アパート” and “mansion / マンション”. Aparto apartments tend to be simpler so they may have less insulation, however, they’re generally cheaper rent-wise. Mansion apartments aren’t actually mansions (it’s weird, I know), but they’re usually medium to large sized buildings that use more concrete and likely have a little more insulation, but they’re generally more expensive rent-wise.
Both apartments I lived in and are comparing are the mansion type.
Gas
Provider: Tokyo Gas
Gas is mainly used for the stove and water heater.
This is a utility that can have quite a range depending on your lifestyle, especially with water heating.
Taking baths in a furo - where you soak in a tub of hot water after showering - is done by most Japanese people every day. A lot of foreigners have adopted this into their lifestyle as well, especially in the winter because it’s refreshing and feels good.
When I lived alone, I never took furo baths. Even now, we rarely use it, probably not even every month except for in the colder seasons.
I usually cooked simple things for dinner when I lived alone, so mainly just for 15-20 minutes to fry some meat and vegetables. Now, thankfully my wife likes to cook, bake and have more proper meals, so the kitchen is used a lot more than when I was living alone.
Single - 1K studio costs
February: 2,646 JPY
May: 1,965 JPY
August: 1,442 JPY
November: 1,982 JPY
Avg: 2,009 JPY (~USD $17.66)
Couple - 1LDK costs
February: 5,675 JPY
May: 5,929 JPY
August: 2,992 JPY
November: 4,621 JPY
Avg: 4,804 JPY (~USD $42.23)
Water
Provider: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks
The water bill covers water and sewer, and comes once every 3 months. The bill is for that 3-month period.
Again, whether or not you take furo baths will probably impact your water bill quite a bit.
I’m generally a shower person - I shower once in the evening for about 10 minutes max. In the summer though, I occasionally take a shower in the day as well because it’s so hot and sticky here. Even now with my wife, we will only take furo baths occasionally, usually in the colder months.
When I lived alone, there was almost no fluctuation in the bills, so I’ll just share the average.
Single - 1K studio costs
Avg: 3,717 JPY (~USD $32.64)
Couple - 1LDK costs
Winter: 6,254 JPY
Spring: 7,825 JPY
Summer: 7,040 JPY
Fall: 6,778 JPY
Avg: 6,975 JPY (~USD $61.22)
Electricity
Provider: TEPCO
Electricity is for the lights, AC/heater, and some miscellaneous items like appliances, intercom, toilet controls, etc.
In both apartments, the lights were either florescent or LED. Lifestyles were pretty typical - lights were turned off in rooms not in use and there was nothing going on like crypto mining or anything like that.
Single - 1K studio costs
February: 5,644 JPY
May: 2,696 JPY
August: 4,170 JPY
November: 2,471 JPY
Avg: 3,745 JPY (~USD $32.59)
Couple - 1LDK costs
February: 6,254 JPY
May: 4,820 JPY
August: 7,747 JPY
November: 3,473 JPY
Avg: 5,576 JPY (~USD $48.52)
Internet & Phone
Provider: Softbank
Internet is interesting in Japan as you have to pay your bill to two companies, one is for the connection (usually NTT) and one is to the provider (I had OCN).
My mobile phone service provider is Softbank, and because they also provide internet, they sold me on combining my phone and internet bills together. The cost was about the same, maybe a few hundred yen cheaper, and it’s more convenient to have it all combined together.
The service was in my name so I was able to carry it from my 1K apartment to my 1LDK one.
There are 2 types of lines, one for apartments and one for houses. Mine is the apartment one and it’s a Hikari fiber-optic connection.
Internet
4,734 JPY (~USD $41.24)
My phone plan includes 20GB of data per month that rolls over, but if I talk on the phone, I have to pay according to use. Phone calls are expensive in Japan compared to places like the US, and that’s one reason why most opt to use apps like LINE.
I also purchased my iPhone directly from Apple, so my monthly bill doesn’t include any monthly device payment.
Phone
Avg: 7,570 JPY (~USD $66.00)
Total monthly averages
Single - 1K studio costs (besides phone)
Avg: 14,205 JPY (~USD $123.76)
Couple - 1LDK costs (besides phone)
Avg: 22,088 JPY (~USD $192.44)
I hope that helps. Watch my video to see more.
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I share my experiences and tips for dealing with money if you're traveling or moving to Japan. My preferred banks in the U.S and Japan, how to use Apple Pay, and the credit cards that I use.