Budget Examples for Vacations in Japan
Here are some budget examples for a stay in Japan: Example 2 weeks in Hokkaido and 2 weeks in Kyushu.
Here are some budget examples for a stay in Japan:
Example 2 weeks in Hokkaido and 2 weeks in Kyushu.
Average: 100 to 120 euros per day per person.
- Round-trip flights: 1100 euros each (including domestic flights in Japan).
- Food: the budget varies greatly... You should budget between 10 and 20 euros per meal at a restaurant, sometimes more! Sushi, sashimi, and especially yakitori (grilled meats) are quite expensive.
- Accommodation: between 4000 and 6000 yen (night with breakfast) or between 35 and 50 euros. For two people, it works out a bit cheaper.
Example from Nele and Mathieu for 15 days in Japan
2000 € per person for 15 days.
- Flights: 626.9€ round-trip per person
- The Japan Rail Pass (14 days): 371€ per person
- 14 nights (double room): 500€ (per person on average) or 36€ per person on average per night
- Food, entry to tourist sites (but no souvenir purchases): 428€ per person
Note:
- Museum prices are most often reasonable.
- Prioritize bentos from Japanese snack shops, but not from real restaurants and spend 4 hours at Starbucks.
- Accommodations in the small budgets recommended by Lonely Planet (no dorms or capsule hotels). Be aware that about half the time we had our own bathroom (+ toilet).
- If you stay in a guesthouse, you should be able to cook. Supermarkets (supaa in Japanese) and department stores (dépato) offer prepared dishes, salads, and fruits in portions they discount about 30 minutes before closing. You can get rice (around 80 yen per portion), vegetables, stews, fried items (100 to 400 yen per portion), sushi at half price... This allows you to eat cheaply in the evening while watching Japan's fascinating TV programs (an education, I promise you).
- Buy your instant coffee, tea, rice seasonings, biscuits, snacks, etc. at the 100 yen shops
Example budget for 3 weeks in Japan
- Japan Rail Pass for 3 weeks: 618 euros, or 30 euros per day
- A youth hostel costs 18 euros per night
- Eating on the go between 7 and 8 euros per meal approximately, which is 24 euros/day. There are shops everywhere with takeout dishes. For restaurants, count between 8 and 10 euros.
- Museums between 4 and 5 euros entry.
Examples of prices in Japan:
- A bottle of water from a vending machine: 150 yen
- A metro ticket: 150 to 250 yen
- A chocolate croissant: 200 yen
- A cinema ticket: 1500 to 2000 yen
- A decent meal: 800 - 1000 yen
Example budget for 3 weeks of "Backpacking" travel
3 weeks in Tokyo, Kyoto and Oh-Shima island.
- Accommodation: 2500Y to 6000Y per night per person, or 17 to 40€ (youth hostel, small ryokan, business hotel).
- Food: good complete meals from 4€, but you can quickly increase your budget (you need to treat yourself), you have bentos around 800Y (for budget options).
- Transport: make maximum use of the JR Pass via JR lines (even if you have to change stations to pick up another JR line).
- Bus or metro: 1€ per ticket, but prices vary with distance. However, in some cities you have half-day multi-transport and unlimited passes, very handy.
- For visits: use passes or packages allowing you to visit many things for a set fee. Entry starts at 500Y (and can go up to 2000Y)
Final count: 1200€ for food/accommodation/transport/visits (per person), 360€ JR Pass and the plane ticket on top. That's an average of 50€/day per person. I think you could go lower, but you'd be missing out on quite a few things (food, visits...)
Frequently asked questions
The daily budget in Japan varies depending on your travel style: expect around 50€/day for backpacking (youth hostel, bentos, public transport), between 100 and 120€/day for a moderately comfortable trip with restaurants and private room accommodation, and significantly more for a luxury trip with ryokan and gourmet dining.
For 3 weeks, the JR Pass represents an investment of around 618€ (data to verify depending on the year). It's worthwhile if you plan several long-distance trips on the Shinkansen, for example between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. For a stay concentrated in a single city, rechargeable IC cards may suffice.
Several tips allow you to eat cheaply in Japan: buy bentos at supermarkets (especially 30 minutes before closing for significant discounts), frequent ramen or soba restaurants, use automatic meal dispensers (gyudon, udon), and stock up on snacks and beverages at 100 yen shops.
At youth hostels, expect around 2500 to 3000 yen per night (approximately 18€). A business hotel or small ryokan costs between 4000 and 6000 yen per night. To save further, capsule hotels are a popular option in Japan, often available from 3000 yen per night in major cities.
Museum and site entry fees in Japan are generally reasonable: between 500 and 2000 yen depending on the location (or 4 to 15€). Many temples and gardens are even free to enter. There are also bundled passes allowing you to visit multiple sites at a reduced price, particularly in Kyoto and Nara.
