Based on how common that salary seems to be, I’m guessing people can already guess what position I’m looking into. I am an English teacher in the United States, but I went to middle school in Tokyo. Lately, I’ve been dying to get back to Japan, and fortunately there seem to be some very manageable paths to get there as an English teacher.
However, it seems like the salary is about ¥270,000 per month (before tax, healthcare deductions, etc) across the board using the most common routes, which isn’t bad at all, but I’m trying to get a feel for what that actually looks like in Japan. I am single and currently make about $45,000 a year (before tax, etc) and feel very comfortable with that amount. I live in a small American town and pay about $975 a month in rent (along with car insurance and other common American things)
I know the salary is significantly less than what I make now when simply converting yen to USD, but what would that amount actually look like in Japan? I would probably live and work outside of Tokyo, as I remember firsthand how expensive it is. I’m okay with living an austere lifestyle, but I do have two cats, and I like having enough income to buy some occasional video games and such.
EDIT: I’ll add that I can probably qualify to work at an international school, which have much higher salaries. But it seems like those positions are few and far between
4 comments
Doing some quick maffs, your take home will be roughly ¥220,000 after all taxes have been deducted. Will it be enough to live outside of Tokyo? Yes. Will you be happy? I guess that depends on your lifestyle choices.
lmao 270k is plenty to live even in Tokyo. You can rent for ~$600 (80k Y) 1R apartment in Tokyo that will be 20-30min from central. Utilities is about $80, internet phone and home is $70, food $200-300 if you cook for yourself, transport about $80. I mean what would you even spend on to spend 270k a month that’s crazy. As a student or single person you can live for ~$1000-1200 a month in Tokyo comfortably.
If it matters, I lived 30 minutes from Nagoya on 240,000 before taxes. Never worried about money and did/ate whatever I wanted. Granted I’m not a bar or fancy restaurant guy.
I live off of less than that in Tokyo, so you should be fine. May not be able to go eat at expensive restaurants multiple times a week, but it’s more than enough to live comfortably