Japan costs – That’s how much you pay for 3 1/2 weeks in Japan

Even before our trip to Japan it was clear that 3 1/2 weeks in the land of the rising sun will make a decent hole in your wallet. Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world and we can definitely confirm that.

Nevertheless, or maybe because of that, we definitely recommend you a trip to Japan. The country is still considered exotic for western travelers, and many wave away relatively quickly during the initial price research. But: The trip was worth every penny!

How much we have spent exactly and with what amount you should expect, you can now read in this post. Exactly listed for flights, accommodation, food & Drinking, sightseeing and other expenses. Including a few good ones saving tips at the end.

More contributions for your Japan planning:

Currency in Japan

Before we show you in detail our travel costs for Japan, we will talk briefly about the local currency.

Payment is made in Japan with the so-called yen. Depending on the exchange rate, you currently receive between 120 and 125 yen per €.

Sounds like a good and high exchange rate in the first moment, but relativizes itself quite soon as soon as you will see the first prices.

The currency is divided into the following coins and notes:

coins: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen
notes: 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10000 yen

There used to be heaps of smaller bills, but these have now been discontinued.

Our entire cost for Japan

Now enough talk. It’s time for hard facts! Have fun with our exact travel costs for 3 1/2 weeks in Japan.

Travel expenses for flights to Japan and back

The flights to Japan and back again are in a normal context. You will not find price junkers like Thailand, but you can get round-trip flights with matching flight times between 700 € and 900 €. Goes cheaper, but also more expensive!

Since we arrived from Thailand we had the one way flight from Bangkok to Osaka 157 € per person cost. At the end of our journey we went back to Germany. Here we have paid for the flight from Tokyo to Munich with Etihad Airways € 490 per person.

Since we booked the return flight only at very short notice, the price went completely well. On the other days the flight was directly 200 € more expensive. We found the connection through Skyscanner. *

Total airfare to Japan and back: 1294 €

Cost in Japan for accommodations

If something is really extremely expensive in Japan, then it’s accommodation! We thought Singapore has it all, but Japan still tops it all off. Since we traveled through the country during the cherry blossom, hotels were again more expensive than in the off season.

Finally we looked for an apartment over Airbnb for each place of our trip. Since Sara’s mom and sister were there, we could rent small apartments for four people and got away a lot cheaper. Even rooms in standard hotels are many times more expensive.

Prices for Osaka: 97.50 € for 3 nights
Prices for Kasagi: 141,50 € for 11 nights (very cheap, as in the country)
Prices for Kyoto: 290,50 € for 6 nights
Prices for Tokyo: 224,50 € for 5 nights

Total accommodation cost in Japan for two persons: 754 €

Cost in Japan for food & Drink

Let’s come to our favorite discipline: food and drink! Here we were even positively surprised by the prices. The most famous and popular dishes of Japanese cuisine such as sushi, ramen or Udon soup you get very often at fair prices.

Sushi: from 100 yen per serving (about 0.80 €)
Ramen: from 600 yen (about 5 €)
Udon: from 500 yen (about 4 €)

But there are also really expensive restaurants, where under 30 € per dish is nothing. We completely renounced this during our trip and instead often swung the cooking spoon ourselves. At least once a day.

For shopping in Japan: Prices for food, especially for fruits and vegetables, are significantly more expensive in Japan than in Germany. Since the Japanese import almost nothing and grow everything themselves, it is neatly hit. The very popular in Japan tofu, however, is really cheap.

Even drinks such as water, juices or beer cost more than in Germany. And the beer prices are still really limited.

Total cost of food & Drink: 597.75 €

Taxi costs »you can count on these prices

What should a taxi ride cost?? If you do not own a car or prefer to travel by bus or train, the use of a taxi is very convenient. However, you will…
Who is afraid of japan? These 5 prejudices and clichés are not true, wonders of the world

Who is afraid of Japan? These 5 prejudices and stereotypes are not correct! * Post updated on: 8 May 2018 How often do we smile about the astonished to…
Topsoil »costs, price factors and savings

Topsoil: What are the costs?? If you need topsoil for your garden or land, you have several options for getting this precious earth. The costs that are…
South Africa cost prices – you pay that much for 2.5 weeks of holiday in South Africa

South Africa costs Prices – That’s how much you pay for 2.5 weeks of vacation in South Africa When you hear South Africa, you think at first a cheap…