Jamie
Working in Tokyo
Monthly Earnings 105,000 baht equivalent
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I earn roughly 105,000 baht/month working at a private international school.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Usually around 20,000 baht.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 33,000 baht/month for a big (by Japanese standards) apartment in the western suburbs. It's about 50 square meters and in a really convenient location.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I take a free school-bus to and from work. It actually stops right outside my apartment building. I travel into central Tokyo for events and meeting up with people, so say 2,000 baht/month
Utility bills
Gas, water and electric come out to 3,300 baht
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I cook at home on weekdays and eat out on weekends so usually end up spending a lot less than most people. 15,000 baht
Nightlife and drinking
I like a good beer or highball on the weekends and since Japan is such a social-drinking institution, I am out twice a week, if not more. Call it 8,000-10,000 baht/month
Books, computers
About 2,500 baht a month for internet/TV/wifi, the odd Amazon purchase averages books out to 1,000 baht/month
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Interesting and comfortable. After 10 years, Japan still does it for me, though I feel myself slowing down. It's a unique culture and a clean country, and I have had almost no major issues during all these years.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Tough to say as Tokyo is notoriously pricey, but I feel the all-you-can-eat/drink deals are good value. Japan's version of fast food is a beef bowl, which can be cheap and filling.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
The average starting salary for an entry-level teaching job is 250,000 yen/month (76,500 baht) and I feel that's enough to get by and have some money left over. I would never consider anything less than that and neither would most people here.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Jamie. Nice to hear from a teacher in Japan. In fact I think this is the first survey we've had from the land of the rising sun. You've been there ten years and you obviously know the ropes and seem happy enough. Japan was for a long time considered the one TEFL destination where the streets were paved with gold but that probably isn't the case anymore.
It doesn't comes as much surprise that accommodation is responsible for such a large chunk of your budget.
I've been to Tokyo twice so I can only view things through the eyes of a short-term visitor but I was pleasantly surprised by how 'cheap' eating out was once you knew where to go. Those 'fast food beef bowl' places - I know them well. You sit down, order the food, get it down you and move on. They are not places to linger and chat but when you are looking for a quick refuel, they tick every box. I actually found those places cheaper than eating out at an equivalent restuarant in Bangkok. The portions are twice the size for a start.
I didn't think getting around by public transportation was particularly expensive either.
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