How Much Is the Average Rent in Tokyo?

Everyone wants to live in Tokyo, but not everyone has the budget to afford a high rise in Shibuya. Not everyone is willing to commute out from the inaka (countryside) either.

To help you get the most out of your rent money, let’s go through the average cost for different neighborhoods in Tokyo and some tips for finding the right place to live—for the right price.

Is Tokyo expensive?

Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. It made the number ten spot on Deutsche Bank’s annual Mapping the World’s Prices report and is the third most expensive city for expatriates on Mercer’s Mercer 2020 Cost of Living Survey.

However, you’ll often hear from people that Tokyo isn’t “that expensive,” which isn’t false, depending on your location and lifestyle. Indeed, the Deutsche Bank report lists the average price for a “typical” Tokyo two-bedroom apartment as US$1,903 (¥203,730).

Following the 30 percent rule, you would need to earn around ¥679,000 per month to afford that “typical apartment” and still live comfortably. Most landlords won’t even rent to you unless you can prove you make three times the cost of rent per month.

Most readers are not making that kind of bank. The average salary of someone in their 20s in Tokyo is around ¥280,000 per month.

Plus, Tokyo is a big city. Within it are 23 wards large enough to be their own city, 39 smaller municipalities and even a couple of islands, and rent differs greatly between them all. You’ll find that the realistic price of a”typical” apartment is much lower.

Here is a quick look at the average price of each ward’s averages according to japan’s National Association of Real Estate Transaction Associations.

Note that rent prices are per month, before utilities and other maintenance costs.

Average cost by ward

1R	1K–1DK	1LDK–2DK	2LDK–3DK	3LDK–4DK
Adachi	55,700	59,000	70,500	97, 500	122,300
Arakawa	62,600	70,100	93,600	120,400	163,600
Bunkyo	73,300	80,600	123,400	202,900	269,100
Chiyoda	98,900	118,800	191,300	326,100	687,300
Chuo	97,400	115,400	180,500	231,800	328,800
Edogawa	56,400	62,800	75,100	110,300	138,700
Itabashi	54,200	64,800	85,100	109,600	136,700
Katsushika	52,600	59,900	69,700	98,500	132,500
Kita	57,800	68,300	94,600	141,000	149,900
Koto	68,300	79,100	97,100	169,200	195,500
Meguro	80,500	86,900	141,800	182,700	310,000
Minato	127,100	128,800	246,000	468,600	866,200
Nakano	59,600	71,300	105,000	136,300	173,000
Nerima	53,800	63,900	83,300	104,000	133,400
Ota	64,300	72,600	101,100	144,000	204,100
Setagaya	69,400	72,000	101,700	161,800	236,700
Shibuya	97,100	103,500	206,000	351,100	529,300
Shinagawa	78,800	86,900	138,600	220,400	272,700
Shinjuku	77,300	89,700	144,000	210,100	268,000
Suginami	59,900	68,600	100,400	139,200	181,300
Sumida	65,400	80,600	95,200	130,700	182,500
Taito	71,100	89,500	121,000	170,900	209,300
Toshima	64,900	74,000	105,400	158,800	235,200

Which ward should I live in?

Which do you prioritize more: budge, space or commute time?

While many of us would prefer a large home to stretch out our legs, some of us would willingly give it up for a 30-minute commute to work even if it costs more than 30 percent of our salary.

If you work in the outer wards, such as Nerima-ku (ward), you can find a lovely home within the ward without spending more than 25 percent of your salary, and you won’t have to commute very far. Then you can travel to the more exciting wards such as Shibuya on your days off.

If you want to live and work in the more expensive wards, you may have to spend more than 30 percent of your salary for as little as 25 square meters depending on the apartment’s age and distance from the nearest station. But if a quick and stress-free commute is more important to you, plus easy access to downtown Tokyo, go for it.

Also, keep in mind that living further away from a train station will also save you money. Prices drop once apartments get more than ten minutes away from a station.

Can I afford central Tokyo?

Unsurprisingly, central Tokyo has the highest rent prices. Like any other city, if you want to live downtown, you have to pay a premium. It is, after all, the heart of Japanese business, politics and bureaucracy.

Tokyo’s central wards are:

Minato-ku, home to most big-name companies, embassies and foreigner-favorite Roponngi, is the most expensive place to live in Tokyo. Chiyoda-ku, where you’ll find the Imperial Palace, is a close second. And if you dream of living close to shopping and entertainment meccas like Shibuya and Ginza in Chuo-ku, you better be prepared to lay down a lot of cash.

Central Tokyo’s border wards are a good middle ground

Meguro-ku lies right alongside Shibuya-ku. Don’t get us wrong, it is still pretty expensive. It has slowly matured into Tokyo’s most cultured and trendy wards. But search along the popular Toyoko train line, and you’ll start finding 1DK apartments for around ¥90,000 that will offer you convenient access to Shibuya-ku and Minato-ku through the Hibiya line.

The Oimachi line is another excellent line that runs through Shinagawa-ku and Meguro-ku with convenient transfer to greater Tokyo. Still, it’s close enough to affordable Ota-ku and Setagaya-ku, where the average price of a 1DK is around ¥72,000.

Of course, these are options if your goal is to live close enough to central Tokyo without feeling the pressure.

What are the cheapest wards in Tokyo?

Generally, the farther out you go, the cheaper the apartments will be. The east and north most outer-lying wards are the most budget-friendly wards in Tokyo:

Spending around ¥70,000 can score you a sizeable 1LDK apartment of at least 40m. You’ll feel like an absolute king living in that kind of space compared to what you’ll find closer to central Tokyo. Moreover, they might even be brand new modern homes. The only way you’re going to find that kind of space for anywhere near that price in central Tokyo is if the apartment is older than your parents. It all depends on your priorities.

Outside the 23 wards

You could consider living outside the 23 wards. If you choose a reliable train line and a biggish station, there’s not much difference in lifestyle. For example, a train from Shimbashi station from Wako City, which is just over the border in Saitama Prefecture, just takes 40 minutes. It’s on both the Yurakucho and Fukutoshin subway lines. You can explore Greater Tokyo’s many train lines here.

Ready to move in? Be sure to read what you need to rent an apartment in Japan. Share houses are also an increasingly popular option; with some interesting options like social apartments that offer a luxury living experience for a fraction of the cost. You can read more about finding an apartment in Japan in our Japan 101: Moving In and Moving Out section. Good luck!