I would like to work as an ALT in Japan (as i’m sure many others do) And this is what the company i’m looking into is offering. I am in the UK currently so there is no way for me to know average living costs in Hokkaido. They say that they detract **National income tax and employment insurance** but I don’t know if the amount given is before or after that. And there are still other taxes. I would be alone and happy with just a roof over my head, nothing big.
Is this still good?
Edit: I would like to clarify “good” Means I could live without having too worry **All the time** about money. Basically can I sometimes do fun things instead of being in my small apartment alone.
23 comments
Very generally speaking, it’s not good – but it’s certainly livable.
It depends so much on lifestyle too, you might not be doing or saving a whole lot with that. With that said there aren’t many starts for ALTs that offer anything better.
Another thing to consider is that you’re going to be pretty miserable in Hokkaido without a car. Buying the car, maintenance, insurance, etc. Will take up a hefty chunk.
Hokkaido generally has lower cost of living, but you’ll barely make it with that salary.
This is very typical interac salary. If it is a company that cuts your contract and then rehires you every year, you will have two months of hell. I’m talking like white rice and salt for breakfast and not leaving your house. Especially in Sapporo where rent is more expensive than in a smaller town and six months out of the year you will probably being paying almost as much in heating oil as you do in rent. But if you will do anything to live in Japan than go for it.
Because you said you have a disability, it would be really tough. I have a lot of medical problems and spend about 1/3rd of my income on health expenses (medical insurance, prescriptions, appointments etc.) When my university job is off, I have to borrow money from my parents to buy food.
I lived in bum fuck nowhere for 2 years and it was good because I ended up speaking Japanese because of it. Of you wanna live it up wait for a city. I live in Osaka and it’s cheap, I stay in a share house costing way less than a Leo palace (Google it, it’s probably where you’ll live). If you wanna stay for a year just get your visa and enjoy Hokkaido, if you’re young just wait something better might come.
Definitely. In 1995. That was my salary then and I thought I was so rich.
Poverty level. Enjoy your life…
It’s not good but depending on other variables it’s livable. Alt’s in my city are direct hires and the city has teacher apartments (not Leo) that are subsidized to around 22,000~25,000¥ a month. Most of the teachers I work with live there and live comfortable lives. I don’t know if it’s still a thing but some cities around Hokkaido have been known to lend houses and cars to the ALT’s.
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People say it’s livable but IMO you’ll be broke all the time. No going out for dinner, no hobbies. Eggs for breakfast every day, ramen for dinner. That kind of shit, and forget savings.
I live in the Kanto region. For one person on weekdays (SO stays on weekends).
Food 30,000
Train pass 16,000
Health/medical 1,000
Home 63,000
Personal 30,000
Fund. 30,000
Gas 3,000
Mad money 15,000
Electric 4,000 (double in winter and summer)
Water 2,500
Internet 6,000
Phone 3,000
Total is close to ¥200,000 a month.
Fund is for retirement money. The personal category is hair cut, clothing, gifts, etc.
I make nearly all my own meals, and feed both of us on weekends.
You’ll be taking home less than ¥200,000/ month.
Interac
Is it good? No
Can you make it work? Yes
Edit: actually it is good by your definition of good, which means that you won’t be homeless or starving.
People say the salary isn’t good but i have to slightly disagree. For the hours ALTs work i think the salary is very good, it’s basically a decent part-time job. I have friends who work as a mechanic, foot-soldier for JSDF and warehouse worker who earn a very similar wage to us. They get a nice bump in bonuses but the monthly salary is pretty much the same and they work 3-4 times harder than ALTs do.
After rent, utilities and tax paid for you will have around 110,000-130,000yen to do what you wish. I think it’s more than enough to live on and enjoy your life in Japan.
Not without a significant side-hustle, bringing you up to 3.2-3.6. Like, you wanna live like a monk? Sure, but honestly it’s a garbage wage.
Anything less than ¥3mil is going to be TOUGH if you don’t have money coming in elsewhere.
You could live like a hermit and save but what’s the point?
For a 20 something old? Fine
For a married 35 year old with a wife and kids? Bad
That’s not good anywhere
It’s absolutely fine for a single person the countryside. Not good, but fine. For city-living that’s super rough. In Hokkaido you will definitely need to purchase some weather related clothes/tools, which will eat into that paycheck.
Overall it’s a good opportunity to learn how to create and manage a budget to fit your life. If you are planning to stay for a couple of years, don’t sweat it too much and enjoy the ride. If not, use your free time due to not having money to do anything to develop professionally. Also be aware that moving apartments can be quite costly. So if you have a plan to move after a year to a new job or location, you’re going to want to have saved 300,000-400,000 yen to be safe.
There’s a lot of ways to make some extra cash under the table, especially in the countryside. Whether that be from part-time work for local businesses or doing your own English lessons after work.
Fun fact: ALTs cost the same across the board. JETS get the full salary of about 3.6 – 4 million a year, depending on how long you’ve been here. Whatever amount short of that is the dispatch company’s cut.
Dispatch companies are absolutely one of the worst and most predatory companies in Japan. Work for them at your own peril.
Will you be able to do everything on your bucket list? Unfortunately, no.
Will you be able to live and enjoy your time in Japan? Yes.
I am unsure about living in Hokkaido, but when I first moved to Japan I was making about 150,000 after paying rent and bills. This was on a starting pay of 275,000 (I believe). I was able to go out, send money home, and buy some things I wanted. Some months I would have to live more frugally, but it was worth it.
If you plan on staying for a year, do not hesitate to take the opportunity. If you want to stay longer or for life, then try to find an exit strategy immediately, build your skills, and dip when you can.
Good luck with your future journeys!
Which dispatch company?
It’s what… max of ~$27k a year (aka 225,000 yen a month). You could get more packing supermarket shelves in most developed countries, right?
Eikaiwa/ALT salaries range from about 200k to 300k. I’d say:
– 250k is low but liveable… anything less is hopefully gonna be for part-time work (e.g. 3-4 days a week) or with some sorta compelling perk (e.g. free accommodation & utilities).
– 300k+ is generally reserved for JETs. They used to start on 330k but I think even JETs start lower these days. I got it at an eikaiwa (~330k) but this was a single-teacher eikaiwa and I was putting in some serious hours (i.e. my hourly wage woulda been worse than a lot of people working part-time and stuff for ~250k who could bridge the gap by doing privates).
– 200k or lower is what E2 speakers from developing countries will get. You’re being robbed if you take that (again… unless it’s part-time for a sweet gig… some of the best contracts I’ve seen are ~250k yen for 3 days a week. Less can be more!)
I lived in Hokkaido for a few years in the mid 2000s as a direct hire ALT (my employer was the BOE). I can give you my experience.
– My salary was 350k per month before tax and insurance. This was in 2004. I came from Eikawa at the time and it was a significant bump in salary from the 250k I was previously making. I could save a lot back then, but I was single and without a family.
– One reason I could save was that there was nothing to do. I lived in rural Hokkaido three hours east from Sapporo by train. For fun during the week it was just karaoke or drinks sometimes with friends. I’d go to Sapporo once every few months for access to more stuff to do.
– Winter is long and snowy. It is dark and cold. It’s not the kind of place you want to be cooped up in an apartment by yourself. I was the only foreigner in my town and in the whole sub-prefecture I lived i think there were about 50 foreign residents. Distances are not far in terms of kilometers but going anywhere by car can take more time than you would expect (low speed limits, snow in the winter, mountainous terrain). So I really didn’t do much during the week. I took up skiing which helped a lot, and it was inexpensive.
– If you are outside of the Sapporo area you will need a car. Trust me. Sure, some regional cities like Kushiro, Obihiro, and Kitami are big enough where you can get around by bus. But even then it is inconvenient. If you are outside any regional city you absolutely need a car if you want to have any freedom. My town had one supermarket, one bank, one convenience store, one izakaya, and one pachinko. Even going to the supermarket was five kilometers from my apartment.
– Hokkaido is not like the rest of Japan in that it’s not really what you would expect. The only place kind of like a big city is Sapporo. There are few old cultural sites and it reminded me a lot more of my home in the Midwest US than it did of Japan. It’s a very different Japan experience and has its own unique charms, but it’s not what you likely would expect Japan to be like.
– Going to other areas of Japan is costly. When I lived there the cheap airlines charged 25,000 for a ticket to Tokyo from Sapporo. There were flights from my regional airport, but only JAL served that airport so they charged 50,000 for a round trip ticket to Tokyo. It was ridiculous and cheaper for me to travel many places in Asia compared to just going to Tokyo.
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t take the job due to the salary. If I decided to take the job regardless, I wouldn’t take it unless it is in Sapporo. And I wouldn’t stay long.
Best of luck to you!