Just How Expensive is Tokyo for a Week?

The biggest concern people had when I told them I was going to Japan for 5 weeks was the price.

“Oo Tokyo will be expensive”, “I hope you’ve been saving your pennies” or words to that effect that don’t sound like a TV grandma were sent my way. I reassured them I’d be fine and that from my research “it didn’t look as expensive as London”.

The cost of Tokyo

After visiting for almost two weeks I’ve decided that it definitely isn’t. In fact, on the scale of cities, I honestly haven’t found Tokyo to be that expensive at all. You can get a sushi feast for less than a fiver, one way on the metro is around £1 depending on where you’re going and I’ve paid an average of £15 a night for a mixture of accommodation.

I absolutely loved Tokyo. I’d recommend it to anyone, which is why I want to put your mind at rest about this rumoured ‘expensive Tokyo’ I’ve been told to expect. I kept a diary of all my Tokyo expenses for the first week I was there – here it is broken down into categories.

Cost of food in Tokyo

• Piece of sushi from 7/11 shop or similar = 100¥ | 55p
• Sushi feast (see above) at an average restaurant = 550¥ | £3.09
• Cashew nuts = 170¥ | 96p
• Ramen lunch with oolong tea = 1000¥ | £5.50
• Frozen yogurt with 4 toppings = 640¥ | £3.59
• Big sushi lunch deal in Ginza = 970¥ | £5.45
• Things out the breakfast machine = 320¥ | £1.79
• French toast ice cream and coffee = 1380¥ | £7.76
• Sushi dinner in Shinjinku = 850¥ | £4.77
• Disgusting noodle breakfast = 604¥ | £3.39
• Sweet potato cake and coffee = 650¥ | £3.65
• Hot dog and breakfast smoothie = 450¥ | £2.53
• Kebab and oolong tea at Jojola in Harajuku = 600¥ | £3.37
• Pik n mix sweets = 500¥ | £2.81
• Katsu curry = 650¥ | £3.65
• Hungover junk food at 7/11 = 800¥ | £4.49
• Sushi in Ryogoku = 950¥ | £5.34
• Dinner at the Robot Restaurant = 1000¥ | £5.62

Cost of transport in Tokyo

• Train from the Narita Airport to Asakusa = 1100¥ | £6.13
• Metro from Akihabara to Ueno = 140¥ | 77p
• Metro from Karamae to Odaiba = 380¥ | £2.12
• Metro from Odaiba to Ginza = 380¥ | £2.12
• Metro from Ginza to Asakusa = 200¥ | £1.11
• Metro from Asakusa to Shinjuku = 320¥ | £1.78
• Metro from Shinjuku to Ebisu = 320¥ | £1.78
• Metro from Harajuku to shinjuku = 160¥ | 89p
• Metro from Ueno to Ryogoku = 220¥ | £1.23

Cost of drink in Tokyo

• Water at the airport = 110¥ | 61p
• Coffee at Excelsior Café in Akihabara = 350¥ | £1.95
• Orange juice at Time Out cafe = 500¥ | £2.78
• Gin and tonic at Tower Records Cafe = 650¥ | £3.62
• Brown stone cocktail and beef jerky at Brooklyn Parlour = 1500¥ | £8.35
• Drinks on pub crawl = 500¥ each x2 | £5.50
• Golden Gai beer, sake and meat stick = 1000¥ | £5.50
• Other bar = 500¥ each | £2.78
• Coffee at Mercedes Benz connection = 410¥ | £2.28

Cost of accommodation in Tokyo

• 3 x a 10-bed dorm at World Ryokan in Asakusa 2200¥ x 3 | £12.25 x 3 = £36.75
• 2 x Capsule hotel 4500¥ x 2 | £25.04 x 2 = £50.08
• 3 x a 4-bed dorm at Anne Hostel in Ryogku 2500¥ | £13.91 x 3 = £41.73

I’d recommend all the places above. All were in a great location and had great facilities. I moved from the first one because it wasn’t very sociable, and I wanted to try the Capsule Hotel. I’d definitely recommend Anne Hostel over the other one though – more space, better bathrooms and a lot warmer!

Cost of activities in Tokyo

• Visit the Sensoji Temple = free
• Fortune at the Sensoji Temple = 100¥ | 55p
• Maid Café = 1900¥ | £10.31
• WiPremium Wi-Fi for a week = 2000¥ | £11.20
• Science Museum (pic above) = 640¥ | £3.56
• Ticket for Asgeir at Liquid Room = 5800¥ | £32.27
• Park entrance = 200¥ | £1.10
• Ueno park zoo and monorail = 750¥ | £4.17
• Pub crawl entrance = 1500¥ | £8.35
• Entrance to Richie Hawtin at Womb = 2000¥ | £11.20
• Pirukura = 400¥ | £2.23
• Sumo wrestling tickets = 2200¥ | £12.24
• Disneyland = 6400¥ | £35.61

So, my grand total for the cost of a week in Tokyo – including all food, drink, accommodation, transport and activities – was 86,400Y / £483.84.

Seeing Richie Hawtin at Womb, Asgeir at Liquid Room, going to a maid café, eating endless sushi, playing on Purikura, talking to a robot, using a Japanese toilet, going in a spaceship, sleeping in a capsule, seeing a panda, meeting Olaf the snowman and watching the Sumo Wrestling Championship 2015 – PRICELESS!