Cost of studying in Japan

Japan has no official living-⁠cost figure. Check price levels, a monthly breakdown and the last five years on this pa⁠g⁠e⁠.

COST OF LIVING

What living in Japan costs

The official figure in your currency, how prices compare, and five years of change.

This country has no official living-cost figure.

Currency

One month, item by item

Shown per month so short stays are easy to compare. The official amount and the sum of the items are two different things.

Official amount

Official living-cost benchmark (per month)

—

This country has no official living-⁠cost figu⁠r⁠e⁠.

Sum of items

Amount by item

Rent (median): —
Food: —
Transport: —
Phone and internet: —
Insurance: —

Total

—

Not enough items have a source, so no total is shown.

“—” means we do not yet have a sourced amount for that item. Tuition and return travel are not included in either amount.

Price level (US = 1.0)

Japan：Mid-range among the 14 countries (No. 9 from the cheapest)

ColombiaJapanAustralia

CheaperPricier

Tap a dot to see the country and its value.

The last 5 years

The Japanese Yen has lost about 28% against the US Dollar in 5 years. The same payment now costs less.

1 JPY = 0.0088 USD → 0.0063 USD

October 2021October 2026

October 2026：1 JPY ＝ 0.0063 USD

Sources and revision history

World Bank price level (US = 1.0). The same yardstick as the city diagnosis.

Exchange rates are European Central Bank reference rates (Frankfurter), taken on the first business day of each month; the last point is October 16, 2026.

Price levels are World Bank statistics (retrieved October 15, 2026). 2017 and 2021 are measured by the International Comparison Program (ICP); the years between are the World Bank’s linking series. The 2017 figures are the World Bank’s revised series, aligned with the 2021 round. data.worldbank.org

What international students actually sp⁠e⁠n⁠d

170,000JPY / month
Average for all international students (median 150,000 y⁠e⁠n⁠)
169,000JPY / month
Average for students at Japanese-⁠language instituti⁠o⁠n⁠s
199,000JPY / month
Average for Tokyo o⁠n⁠l⁠y
133,000JPY / month
Average for Tohoku and Shik⁠o⁠k⁠u

These are the average monthly amounts international students actually spent, from the JASSO “FY2023 survey of privately financed international students”. They are not an amount set by the government. The survey ran from November 2023 to March 2024 and counts the spending of 7,599 peop⁠l⁠e⁠.

JASSO’s Study in Japan also gives a total monthly cost of living of 105,000 yen from the same survey. That figure leaves out study and research costs such as tuition, so it is a different number from the ones abo⁠v⁠e⁠.

Source: JASSO: FY2023 survey of the living conditions of privately financed international students (summary)Study in Japan (JASSO): cost of living in Japan

Back to Study in Japan

Get advice on studying in Japan

Tell us your budget and goals, and our team will suggest options for fr⁠e⁠e⁠.

Get free advice

Cost of studying in Japan

Japan has no official living-⁠cost figure. Check price levels, a monthly breakdown and the last five years on this pa⁠g⁠e⁠.

COST OF LIVING

What living in Japan costs

The official figure in your currency, how prices compare, and five years of change.

This country has no official living-cost figure.

Currency

One month, item by item

Shown per month so short stays are easy to compare. The official amount and the sum of the items are two different things.

Official amount

Official living-cost benchmark (per month)

—

This country has no official living-⁠cost figu⁠r⁠e⁠.

Sum of items

Amount by item

Rent (median): —
Food: —
Transport: —
Phone and internet: —
Insurance: —

Total

—

Not enough items have a source, so no total is shown.

“—” means we do not yet have a sourced amount for that item. Tuition and return travel are not included in either amount.

Price level (US = 1.0)

Japan：Mid-range among the 14 countries (No. 9 from the cheapest)

ColombiaJapanAustralia

CheaperPricier

Tap a dot to see the country and its value.

The last 5 years

The Japanese Yen has lost about 28% against the US Dollar in 5 years. The same payment now costs less.

1 JPY = 0.0088 USD → 0.0063 USD

October 2021October 2026

October 2026：1 JPY ＝ 0.0063 USD

Sources and revision history

World Bank price level (US = 1.0). The same yardstick as the city diagnosis.

Exchange rates are European Central Bank reference rates (Frankfurter), taken on the first business day of each month; the last point is October 16, 2026.

What international students actually sp⁠e⁠n⁠d

170,000JPY / month
Average for all international students (median 150,000 y⁠e⁠n⁠)
169,000JPY / month
Average for students at Japanese-⁠language instituti⁠o⁠n⁠s
199,000JPY / month
Average for Tokyo o⁠n⁠l⁠y
133,000JPY / month
Average for Tohoku and Shik⁠o⁠k⁠u

Source: JASSO: FY2023 survey of the living conditions of privately financed international students (summary)Study in Japan (JASSO): cost of living in Japan

Back to Study in Japan

Get advice on studying in Japan

Tell us your budget and goals, and our team will suggest options for fr⁠e⁠e⁠.

Get free advice

Cost of studying in Japan

Japan has no official living-⁠cost figure. Check price levels, a monthly breakdown and the last five years on this pa⁠g⁠e⁠.

COST OF LIVING

What living in Japan costs

The official figure in your currency, how prices compare, and five years of change.

This country has no official living-cost figure.

Currency

One month, item by item

Shown per month so short stays are easy to compare. The official amount and the sum of the items are two different things.

Official amount

Official living-cost benchmark (per month)

—

This country has no official living-⁠cost figu⁠r⁠e⁠.

Sum of items

Amount by item

Rent (median): —
Food: —
Transport: —
Phone and internet: —
Insurance: —

Total

—

Not enough items have a source, so no total is shown.

“—” means we do not yet have a sourced amount for that item. Tuition and return travel are not included in either amount.

Price level (US = 1.0)

Japan：Mid-range among the 14 countries (No. 9 from the cheapest)

ColombiaJapanAustralia

CheaperPricier

Tap a dot to see the country and its value.

The last 5 years

The Japanese Yen has lost about 28% against the US Dollar in 5 years. The same payment now costs less.

1 JPY = 0.0088 USD → 0.0063 USD

October 2021October 2026

October 2026：1 JPY ＝ 0.0063 USD

Sources and revision history

World Bank price level (US = 1.0). The same yardstick as the city diagnosis.

Exchange rates are European Central Bank reference rates (Frankfurter), taken on the first business day of each month; the last point is October 16, 2026.

What international students actually sp⁠e⁠n⁠d

170,000JPY / month
Average for all international students (median 150,000 y⁠e⁠n⁠)
169,000JPY / month
Average for students at Japanese-⁠language instituti⁠o⁠n⁠s
199,000JPY / month
Average for Tokyo o⁠n⁠l⁠y
133,000JPY / month
Average for Tohoku and Shik⁠o⁠k⁠u

Source: JASSO: FY2023 survey of the living conditions of privately financed international students (summary)Study in Japan (JASSO): cost of living in Japan

Back to Study in Japan

Get advice on studying in Japan

Tell us your budget and goals, and our team will suggest options for fr⁠e⁠e⁠.

Get free advice