Job Discussion Forums

[senor boogie woogie]

Hola!

I have taught in Taiwan, Korea and China. I have never been to Japan. I like China. I want to visit Japan one day. My vision is to take the railroad around Honshu, see Tokyo, Mt. Fuji and Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Some questions:

1.) How much money do you spend a month?
2,) How much is a taxi for a short ride?
3.) How much is a McDonalds Big Mac?
4.) How much are you paying for rent every month and how big is your place for the amount of money you spend?
5.) How much is a beer in a convience store?
6.) Is it cheaper to eat at home or eat out?
7.) Do you go to bars?
8.) Is Japan clean? Do the people spit, and talk loudly on their cell phones?
9.) Reasonable hotel prices?
10.) Is 250,000 Yen enough?

How well do you live there? I want to compare a persons life in Japan versus mine in China. Seems to me that people in China can work a lot lesss for a level of comfort comparable to Japan, but you guys make more money but everything is much more expensive. If you are American, Canadian or European, did you have "sticker shock" on everyday items here at first?

Senor

[Glenski]

[crazyteacher]

Glenski said



"
Quote:

2,) How much is a taxi for a short ride?


Fares start at around 600 yen. "


Yup. Taxis are evry expensive. I once knew someone who had a long stopover in narita. He did what he would usually do in any city, took a taxi into the city center and had a meal then took a taxi back. He was not happy......



"Quote:

3.) How much is a McDonalds Big Mac?


About 260 yen, sandwich only."


sometimes the have 100 yen specials



"Quote:

4.) How much are you paying for rent every month and how big is your place for the amount of money you spend?


For my 2 bedroom place about 20 minutes from downtown Sapporo, I pay 70,000 yen/month. It is a brand new building, and this includes parking. "

47,000 near center of tokyo. 6 mat bedroom 4.5 mat dining, 1 mat kitchen, toilet, no bath. It is possible to get cheap places if you are insane like me!





"Quote:

7.) Do you go to bars?


no "


yes. prices vary greatly. 1000-120 yen a beer (cheap happy hours can be had)




"Quote:

If you are American, Canadian or European, did you have "sticker shock" on everyday items here at first?


Not much. I'd been here previously, so it's hard to make this comparison. I didn't like the high price of magazines and books more than anything. Movies cost 1800 yen, and you can't choose your own seats, so that was a bit of a shock, but you can see that these are rather minor things to worry about."


I go to second hand book stores a lot and I get books from friends. Space is limited so I give away the good books and resell the rest to the used book store.

You can get discount tickets for the movies (1200)


About comparisons with europe, a Japanese student did a homestay in Dublin and came back complaining about the prices.

[TokyoLiz]

Hola Senor,

Your Questions -
1.) How much money do you spend a month?

About 160,000-190,000 a month. I take classes in my free time.

2,) How much is a taxi for a short ride?

Most of Kanto the meter starts at Y660.

3.) How much is a McDonalds Big Mac?

I've never had one here...The few times I went for a burger, I went to Moss Burger. About Y800 with fries and drink.

4.) How much are you paying for rent every month and how big is your place for the amount of money you spend?

My place is a second storey, corner apartment of a typical "copo" building, with a loft large enough to sleep in and one main room. I pay Y60,000 and I'm an hour from Shinjuku.

5.) How much is a beer in a convience store?

Premium stuff? Y200.

6.) Is it cheaper to eat at home or eat out?

I find that there is no real advantage. I eat out quite often so that I can have variety in my diet. I live alone. Perhaps it's easier for couples.

7.) Do you go to bars?

Yep.

8.) Is Japan clean? Do the people spit, and talk loudly on their cell phones?

Sure they do.

9.) Reasonable hotel prices?

Y4000-10,000 reasonable?

How well do you live there?

Well enough that I can travel home once a year and still have savings.

[Gordon]

1.) How much money do you spend a month?

250,000

2,) How much is a taxi for a short ride?

Taxis start at 600 yen and then it goes up too quickly

3.) How much is a McDonalds Big Mac?

about 250 yen, but never had one

4.) How much are you paying for rent every month and how big is your place for the amount of money you spend?

Getting a whopping deal: 60,000 yen and it is a 2 story house with 2 bedrooms, a walk-in closet and a garden. Nicest house I've ever rented before.

5.) How much is a beer in a convience store?

Don't know, I don't drink

6.) Is it cheaper to eat at home or eat out?

Almost always cheaper at home
7.) Do you go to bars?

Nope

8.) Is Japan clean? Do the people spit, and talk loudly on their cell phones?

Compared to China, you will think you are in Heaven. The streets are much cleaner. Fairly discrete on cell phones.

9.) Reasonable hotel prices?

5-8,000 yen/month

10.) Is 250,000 Yen enough?

Not for me, but I have a family to support.
I live quite well. I'm paying for a Masters degree and go on 2 int'l trips/year and still save.

[homersimpson]

1.) How much money do you spend a month?

Approximately 152,000 yen

2,) How much is a taxi for a short ride?

Meters start about 660 yen

3.) How much is a McDonalds Big Mac?

608 with fries and drink

4.) How much are you paying for rent every month and how big is your place for the amount of money you spend?

45,000 for a reasonably-sized apt. (similar to a studio apt. in the U.S.)

5.) How much is a beer in a convience store?

Depending on the brand, from 120 to 205 yen

6.) Is it cheaper to eat at home or eat out?

Depends on what you buy, how much you eat, etc. I do both and find it's pretty much break even.

7.) Do you go to bars?

No. Ridiculously expensive and pointless (outside of the bigger cities, Japanese women tend not to go bar-hopping).

8.) Is Japan clean? Do the people spit, and talk loudly on their cell phones?

Outside of the big cities, generally clean. I haven't seen too much spitting, but you will occasionally see men pull their cars over to the side of the road and urinate openly).

9.) Reasonable hotel prices?

From 2,000 (for a capsule) to 5,500 (and higher, of course) for a business hotel.

10.) Is 250,000 Yen enough?

Absolutely.