Quote: (11-13-2018 09:08 PM)AManLikePutin Wrote:
@Jefferson: Tough to answer as I stayed in hotels and Airbnbs in relatively central locations. But from what I gather, the competition for space is fierce in a city like Tokyo. I met a few foreigners who work there and they were saying how they have to pay close to $1500-$1800 a month for rent of relatively small space. Food costs quite cheaply compared to quality, and not all that different if you eat out, or make it yourself. non-public Transportation is another expensive item one must be aware of. There was no Uber unless you're taking the uber XL which was way overpriced. though public transport was reasonable (200 yen for each ride). Most foreigners I talked to who live there work in IT, however.
@spaceman: not actively, but at bars and night venues at night. language barrier by far the biggest issue with locals especially in Japan. I had done the first 5 Pimsleur lessons of both Japanese and Korean, which was a great opening surprise for them when starting a conversation in the local language. Quite a lot of expats from Siberian Russia, Australia, Singapore and a few Americans around though, so not a completely homogenous nightlife experience. Re: food, I didn't try Korean BBQ in Seoul (those 2 days really flew by) and it was one of the biggest regrets of my trip, so the food part is definitely biased towards Japan.
@Puppetmaster: If you're visiting, I strongly recommend you buy a JR pass especially if you plan on traveling from one city to another. It's about $300 USD for one week, but even if you just take just one fast super Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Kyoto, it'd pay for itself. Not to mention it'll get you from either Narita/Haneda to Tokyo city centre and is valid on some other routes as well. Re: accommodation, it's the hardest part to do cheap, because, for Airbnb for example, they charge nearly as much for cleaning fee as they do for the actual rent which is absurd. I work in travel industry, so managed to get some discounts off hotels. I say it's worth it to get a central location so you won't have to rely on private transport like taxis after a late night out to get back so you can be within walking distance and Japan is very safe for the most part. Food and alcohol you shouldn't have a problem with as they are both cheaper than the majority of Western countries. I also got a 5gb data plan at Haneda (Bic Camera store) upon landing for about $28 which served me well during that week.
What was your total estimated budget for Japan if you don't mind my asking?
I'm trying to get a good idea of how much money I need to save.