Have you ever wondered how much a trip to Japan costs? Do you have no idea how much you will spend? How much does accommodation cost in Japan? How much does food cost in Japan? How much does the ticket to Japan cost? Let’s see everything in this article.
I will talk about all the expenses I had on all my trips to Japan, as well as provide some tips and analyze how much you need for your stay in the country.
First of all, it is impossible to answer this question with just one value. How much do you think it costs to go to Japan? 10 thousand? 20 thousand? It all depends on where you will stay, what you are willing to eat, and many other factors.
Table of Contents
How much does a plane ticket to Japan cost?
You probably imagine that a plane ticket to Japan is very expensive because it is on the other side of the world. It is more than 17,000 kilometers, 3 different planes, and a total of at least 24 hours on the plane.
Fortunately, the ticket is not expensive just because it is on the other side of the world. You can easily find tickets to Japan for less than 3,000 reais; it all depends on the date, promotions, and the dollar exchange rate.
On my first trip to Japan, I paid 4,000 for a round trip with a layover in Dubai via Emirates. In my opinion, this is the best airline, and you don’t need a visa for the layover.
If you have a U.S. visa, you can easily find cheap tickets in the range of 3,000 reais at any time of the year. Unfortunately, other flights like Emirates usually cost around 6,000 reais.
The Japanese tourist visa is very simple and easy; it costs no less than 100 reais, excluding transportation to the Japanese embassy or consulate. To learn more details about the visa, read this article by clicking here.
How much does transportation cost in Japan?
Within Japan, flights between Tokyo and Osaka or Tokyo and Hokkaido can be found for up to 5,000 yen on airlines like Jetstar. So sometimes it is more advantageous to fly in Japan than to take the train.
If you are in Tokyo, you will spend approximately 1,000 yen on trains per day. You can use the Yamanote Line and go around all of Tokyo, paying between 100 to 220 yen each time you enter the station.
We recommend that you use the JR Pass only if you are traveling from one city to another. If your itinerary is between Tokyo and Osaka, just buy a 7-day JR Pass and activate it only on the day you travel from Tokyo to Osaka.
Train trips tend to be cheap; the JR Pass is more useful if you need to take the shinkansen (bullet train) to various points in the country, as that would be quite expensive. It is possible to travel by local train throughout the country; it is cheaper, but takes longer.
How much does food cost in Japan?
I spent approximately 1,000 yen on food per day, which is about 30 reais. Of course, I saved money, and this does not include the drinks and snacks I buy at konbinis and vending machines.
I personally recommend that you set aside about 100 reais (3,000 yen) per day for good food and to cover small transportation expenses on the metro and local trains.
Each time you want a drink like soda, coffee, or water, you will pay around 100 to 180 yen. A lunch or snack in cheap restaurants costs around 500 to 1,000 yen.
Of course, if you want to try unique and expensive dishes, be prepared because restaurants can easily range from 1,000 to 5,000 yen, especially in cities like Tokyo.
Bring extra money to enjoy the thousands of varieties of snacks and treats you find in konbini and on street corners. You can spend much less money eating in Japan than in Brazil, but it’s hard to resist.
How much does accommodation cost in Japan?
If you want to stay in a hotel, be prepared to find rates of 200 to 300 reais. I recommend hostels; they are cheaper, comfortable, practical, and you can find rates of less than 100 reais.
You don’t need to worry about hotels; you will rarely want to stay in one, use it only to sleep and enjoy as much as possible on the streets. Expenses with laundry machines usually consume 500 yen (15 reais).
Some traditional accommodations like Ryokan can be expensive for the experience. Some hostels are so complete that they offer this experience for less than 100 reais with onsens and yukata to wear on-site.
I made an old video talking about how you can get the cheapest accommodations, and I will leave it below. This video will also help you get a small idea of the price:
How much does tourism cost in Japan?
Japan has many free tourist attractions, while at the same time, it has many expensive places made for exploring tourists. In Tokyo itself, be prepared to spend much more than 100 reais to go up towers like Tokyo Tower or SkyTree.
Places like Disney and Universal I consider a waste of time and money since you pay a lot to stand in long lines that last for hours and ride at most 10 times on the attractions. If you want to go, go on weekends and prepare at least 300 reais.
Generally, museums, temples, gardens, and castles are free, but some may charge fees of 200 to 1,000 yen to enter. Research a lot about the places you will visit to prepare your wallet for the expenses.
How much did I spend traveling to Japan?
I spent about 1,000 reais on accommodation in a hostel in Akihabara – Tokyo (Akihabara Grids), I recommend it. I stayed approximately 14 days in this hostel and the rest at friends’ houses. And as I said, I spent about 100 reais per day on transportation and food.
With transportation and food, I spent about 100 reais per day. Generally, a normal tourist spends more than 300 reais, but I know the secret places and tricks to not spend that much.
I always started the day by buying a drink from the vending machine, then a snack at a konbini. I ate a lot of McDonald’s for 500 yen, nikuman and karaage for 100 yen. I usually had lunch with gyudon, soba, ramen, and cheap udon for 500 yen in various restaurants like yoshinoya.
Bring plenty of extra money to buy souvenirs, electronics like iPads, Macs, and a good camera. In my opinion, the ideal amount for a 30-day stay is at least 10,000 reais, so you can enjoy a lot.
In fact, you can manage to save money just by buying things in Japan and selling them for a higher price in Brazil. If you have good money, you can pay for the entire trip just by doing that.
With the tickets and the JRPass in hand, it is possible to easily survive for 1 month in Japan spending less than 10,000 reais or even 5,000; the big problem is having the visa approved with only that money in the bank account.
And you? Have you traveled to Japan? How much did you spend? Leave your tips in the comments.
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