“A Normal Life in Tokyo Now Costs Nearly ¥300,000 a Month, Study Finds”

As prices continue to rise, how much does it actually cost to live a modest but "normal" life in Tokyo? A labor union group in Tokyo tried to answer that by estimating the minimum monthly living expenses for a single 25-year-old living alone in Setagaya Ward, one of Tokyo’s popular residential areas.

Their findings:

• Men need ¥296,560/month (about $1,850)
• Women need ¥287,809/month (about $1,800) (Both include taxes like resident tax.)

To earn that, a person would need to make around:

• ¥1,706/hour for men
• ¥1,652/hour for women

This is much higher than Tokyo’s current minimum wage: ¥1,163/hour in 2025.

What’s Driving the Costs?

The study was based on a 2019 survey of young workers and updated in 2025 to reflect inflation, lifestyle changes after COVID, and new opinions from 20-30-year-olds.

Some key changes:

• Food costs rose sharply:
  • Men: ¥61,112/month (+¥16,751 from 2019)
  • Women: ¥48,019/month (+¥12,161)
• Entertainment & leisure (like streaming, travel):
  • Men: ¥29,506/month
  • Women: ¥29,546/month
  • Includes monthly streaming subscriptions (~¥2,000) and day trips (raised from ¥3,333 to ¥8,000/month)
• Cosmetics costs were added for men too (~¥500/month) since many now use skincare.
• Weddings and social events are fewer post-COVID, so expected costs there were reduced.
• Rent in Setagaya Ward for a 25m² apartment was set at ¥68,750/month, up slightly from 2019.

“It’s Not a Luxury Life” — Just a Normal One

Professor Shuichi Nakazawa, who oversaw the study, explained:
“This is not a fancy lifestyle. It’s just a basic, socially active life—going out sometimes, joining a work party, watching movies.”

But even this kind of life is out of reach for many low-wage workers.
“To live like this, you’d need to work double or even triple jobs if you earn only minimum wage,” he warned.

Should Minimum Wages Be the Same Across Japan?

Nakazawa also says that minimum living costs are now similar nationwide, even in rural areas. City dwellers pay high rent, while rural workers pay more for car maintenance. With online shopping and remote work, these gaps are shrinking.

So he argues:

What Young People Are Saying

At a focus group in May 2025, young workers shared their struggles:

• “Online meetings mean I had to upgrade my internet—extra costs.”
• “I work at an after-school program but also do sewing jobs to make ends meet.”
• “Groceries and flights are expensive—going home twice a year is tough.”
• “A single night out now costs ¥5,000, and hotel prices are through the roof.”

Even simple things like buying clothes, going to weddings, or traveling are becoming harder.

In short, while wages remain low, the cost of a basic life in Tokyo continues to climb, and even modest goals are harder to afford—especially for young, single workers.