Before we went to Japan, its reputation as an expensive country had us worried. We'd read the warnings: the hotels, the Shinkansen, the cost of eating at the best places. The reality was more nuanced than the reputation. Japan can be done cheaply — convenience store meals at ¥600, capsule hotels, IC card transport. It can also be done expensively — and when you're eating A5 Kobe beef at Mouriya, cooked tableside, you don't regret a single yen of it. Here's the honest breakdown of what we actually spent, and what we'd budget for different travel styles.
The Short Answer
Japan sits between Southeast Asia and Western Europe on the price scale. It's significantly cheaper than Paris or London, roughly comparable to Amsterdam or Barcelona, and noticeably more expensive than Thailand or Vietnam. The yen has weakened significantly against the euro and dollar in recent years, which makes Japan meaningfully cheaper for European and American visitors than it was 5–10 years ago.
Our style: boutique hotels, local restaurants at every price point (from ramen counters to one proper splurge per city), public transport throughout. We didn't budget-travel, but we didn't luxury-travel either. We spent approximately €150–200 per day for two people on average across the month — though this varied significantly by city and by how "nice" we went on accommodation.
Accommodation: Where the Spread Is Largest
| Style | Price per night (double room) | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Capsule hotel / hostel | €20–40 per person | Good for solo travellers; less practical as a couple |
| Budget hotel / guesthouse | €60–90 | Clean and functional; often excellent locations |
| Mid-range hotel | €100–160 | Our sweet spot for most cities |
| Boutique / ryokan | €150–300 | Often includes meals; the best cultural experience |
| Onsen resort / high-end ryokan | €250–500+ | Koyasan temple stays; premium Hakone onsens |
Our stays across the month: Yuen Shinjuku (Tokyo ryokan-style with onsen), SevenxSeven in Ishigaki, The General in Kyoto, Miyako City Osaka, Hojo-in temple in Koyasan (with dinner/breakfast included), WPU Hakone, Uno Port Inn (€80–100, our most affordable and one of our most memorable stays). We averaged around €120–150/night for two.
Koyasan temple stays note: The price includes dinner (shojin ryori, the traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) and breakfast. When you factor in meals, a Koyasan temple stay at €160–200 is actually comparable to a €120 hotel with separate restaurant costs.
Food: Japan's Biggest Bargain
Japan's food scene is the most remarkable value-for-quality anywhere we've been. At the affordable end:
| Meal type | Price |
|---|---|
| Convenience store meal (onigiri + drink) | ¥500–800 (~€3–5) |
| Ramen at a local counter | ¥800–1,500 (~€5–10) |
| Sushi (conveyor belt / kaiten) | ¥1,000–2,000 (~€6–13) |
| Tonkatsu / teishoku lunch sets | ¥1,000–1,500 (~€6–10) |
| Izakaya dinner (drinks + food per person) | ¥2,000–4,000 (~€13–26) |
| Nice sit-down restaurant | ¥3,000–8,000 (~€19–52) |
| Kobe beef at Mouriya (per person) | ¥15,000–25,000 (~€97–162) |
| Omakase / kaiseki (fine dining) | ¥15,000–40,000+ (~€97–260) |
Our approach: breakfast from convenience stores or ryokan, lunch at ramen/sushi counters (€10–15 per person), dinner at proper restaurants (€20–40 per person). One splurge meal per city — the Kobe beef at Mouriya, the Kanazawa king crab at Omicho Market, the omakase in Tokyo. Total food spend: approximately €60–80/day for two on normal days, €150+ on splurge days.
Transport: Cheaper Than Most People Expect
This is where Japan's reputation is most misleading. Yes, the Shinkansen costs money. But:
- We did not use a JR Pass — we bought tickets at the station as needed, and this was cheaper and more flexible than a pass for our itinerary. See our full breakdown in the JR Pass vs Suica guide.
- Within-city transport on the metro and local trains is very cheap — ¥200–400 per journey (€1.30–2.60).
- A Suica card covers everything from Tokyo subways to Osaka buses to 7-Eleven purchases.
| Journey | Price (one way) |
|---|---|
| Tokyo metro (single journey) | ¥180–330 (~€1.20–2.20) |
| Tokyo → Osaka (Shinkansen Hikari) | ~¥13,870 (~€90) |
| Osaka → Hiroshima (Shinkansen) | ~¥10,000 (~€65) |
| Hiroshima → Shin-Osaka (Shinkansen) | ~¥9,000 (~€58) |
| Osaka → Kanazawa (Thunderbird limited express) | ~¥6,570 (~€43) |
| Tokyo → Ishigaki (Peach Air domestic flight) | ¥8,000–20,000 (~€52–130) depending on timing |
| Ferry (Uno → Naoshima) | ¥490 (~€3) |
Our inter-city transport spend averaged around €25–35 per person per day across the month — less than expected because many days had no inter-city travel, and the occasional expensive Shinkansen was offset by cheap ferry and metro days.
Experiences and Entrance Fees
| Experience | Price |
|---|---|
| Most temples and shrines | Free – ¥600 (~€0–4) |
| Fushimi Inari (Kyoto) | Free |
| Chichu Art Museum (Naoshima) | ¥2,100 (~€14) |
| TeamLab Borderless (Tokyo) | ¥3,200 (~€21) |
| Hakone Yuryo private onsen | ¥3,900/hour (~€25) |
| Scuba diving (Ishigaki, 2 dives) | ~€80–100 per person |
| Kyoto cooking class | ¥5,000–8,000 (~€32–52) per person |
| Hiroshima Peace Museum | ¥200 (~€1.30) |
| Koyasan temple stay (dinner + breakfast included) | ¥20,000–30,000 (~€130–195) per person |
Our Honest Japan Budget by Travel Style
| Style | Per day (two people) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €80–120 | Hostels/capsules, convenience stores + ramen, IC card transport, free temples |
| Mid-range | €150–220 | 3-star hotels, restaurant dinners, occasional splurge, Shinkansen between cities |
| Boutique (our style) | €200–350 | Boutique hotels/ryokan, one good restaurant per day, one splurge per city, all experiences |
| Luxury | €400+ | High-end ryokan with kaiseki, fine dining, private transfers |
More Japan Planning Guides
FAQ
Is Japan expensive compared to Europe?
Japan is cheaper than Northern/Western Europe (UK, France, Scandinavia) and roughly comparable to Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Greece) for mid-range travel. The yen's weakness in recent years has made Japan noticeably better value than 5–10 years ago.
Can you do Japan on a tight budget?
Yes — convenience store meals are genuinely good (€3–5), capsule hotels are clean and interesting (€25–40/night), free temples and shrines are abundant, and the Suica card handles all local transport cheaply. A budget of €80–100/day for two is realistic if you stay in hostels and eat at cheap counters.
Is the JR Pass worth buying?
Depends on your route. We didn't buy one and found buying individual Shinkansen tickets cheaper for our itinerary. See our full breakdown in the JR Pass vs Suica guide.
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