Living Cost and Prices
It is important to consider the living costs when international students consider studying in Japan. Prices in Japan tend to be higher than other Asian regions. We can grasp the necessary cost to live in Japan by looking at the average income and spending of actual international students studying in Japan. Living costs and the city you live in is largely related. Housing costs is especially expensive in large cities and entire living costs tend to become expensive. It is necessary to think of which city to continue studies in from living cost perspective too.
Price in Japan
Housing cost, taxi fare, bus fare, service cost such as the Internet and mobile phone call charges are especially expensive. Prices in Japan is stable and has not changed so much in the past 30 years. Prices change within Japan depending on the region. Especially the housing cost, which takes up a large amount of the living cost, greatly differs among the region and will change depending on which part of Japan you study at. On the other hand, prices such as mobile phone call charges, the Internet, and utility cost are mostly the same everywhere in Japan.
Food and household items prices will change depending on the store you purchase so you will be able to save money with ingenuity.
*Prices of Taxi to Hamburgers are those of Tokyo region Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Retail Price Survey retail price index” as of April 2020
Income of International Students
The national average monthly income of international student is JPY170,000. By region, Shikoku area has the lowest average income of JPY133,000 which is JPY60,000 difference from that of Kanto area, JPY193,000. Tokyo has the highest average income in the Kanto area of JPY199,000. Regarding regional difference of income, there is a difference of 69,000 for allowance, JPY23,000 for part-time job, and JPY14,000 for scholarship. When comparing students enrolled in national universities with those enrolled in private universities, students studying at private universities have JPY30,000 higher income of JPY188,000 than students studying at national universities with income of JPY151,000.
Japan Student Services Organization “Lifestyle Survey of Privately-Financed International Students, 2023”
Income by Expense Item
Most of the income of international students are made up of allowance from their home country, part-time job in Japan, and scholarship. National average of allowance from home country is JPY77,000, part-time job income in Japan is JPY61,000, and scholarship is JPY23,000. Those enrolled in Japanese language schools do not have many types of scholarships so allowance from their home country and part-time job income makes up a higher percentage of their income.
Japan Student Services Organization “Lifestyle Survey of Privately-Financed International Students, 2023”
Spending of International Students
The average monthly spending of international students in Japan is JPY170,000. By region, Tohoku area is the lowest with JPY133,000 and is JPY60,000 difference with that of Kanto area which is JPY193,000. Tokyo has the highest spending in the Kanto area with JPY202,000 spending. Regarding regional difference of spending, there is a difference of JPY17,000 for education fee (tuition fee) and JPY25,000 for housing expense. When comparing students enrolled in national universities with those enrolled in private universities, students studying at private universities have spending of JPY188,000 which is JPY30,000 higher than spending of students studying at national universities, JPY151,000.
Japan Student Services Organization “Lifestyle Survey of Privately-Financed International Students, 2023”
Spending by Item
75% of the spending of international students are made up of education fee (tuition fee, teaching material fee, etc.), food expense, and housing expense. National average of spending for education fee is JPY52,000, food expense is JPY32,000, and housing expense is JPY41,000.
Regarding education fee, national average for those enrolled in national universities is JPY40,000, private universities is JPY73,000, professional training college is JPY61,000, and Japanese language school is JPY56,000.
Japan Student Services Organization “Lifestyle Survey of Privately-Financed International Students, 2023”
