This page shows example prices of things in Japan, and gives an idea of how much money you will need when taking a holiday in Japan.

The Japan holiday costs here is an example for a single adult going on a 14 day holiday to Japan. It is assuming that you have a Japan Rail Pass, so won’t be paying for the majority of transport and also excludes flights. All prices are approximate and are in Japanese yen, use the XE Quick Currency Converter to convert to your currency and find the current exchange rate.

If you’re a budget conscious traveller, you need to see this article: Japan on a Budget, Tips for Cheap Travel!

General Japan holiday cost breakdown

Accommodation

• Capsule hotel – 2,000 to 5,000 yen per night.
• Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) – 5,000 to 10,000+ yen per night (note: they can be much more expensive, but I am keeping this moderate).
• Hotel – 5,000 to 15,000+ yen per night.

Food and drink

• Convenient store/noodle – 300 to 600 yen per meal.
• Fast food/cheap restaurants – 600 to 1,000 yen per meal.
• Decent Japanese restaurant – 900 to 1,800+ yen per meal.
• Japanese cuisine: Wagyu/Teppanyaki etc at an Izakaya – from 2000 yen per meal.
• Sweets/snacks/vending machine drinks – no more than 250 yen.

Attractions and Entertainment

• Single attraction: e.g. Tokyo Tower viewing platform – 820 yen. Prices are generally no more than 2,000 yen but this depends on the site.
• Temples: up to 500 yen (if it isn’t free, which many are)
• Beer (500ml can from convenient store): from 270 yen
• Beer/house spirits at bars: 600 yen
• Other drinks at bars – 600 to 1200 yen

Souvenirs

• Shirts and general clothing – from 1,000 yen at stores such as UniQlo
• Smaller themed souvenirs (e.g. pens, key-rings, lucky coins) – 500 yen
• Larger items, tea sets, ceramics, robes/coats, etc – 1,000 to 20,000+ yen

Travel costs

• Before you travel to Japan, purchase a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass). I can’t recommend one strongly enough – it will save you a lot of money, and you can use it to travel on the bullet train (shinkansen) and all Japan Rail trains and buses.
• See more info on buying a JR Pass. They are available for 7, 14 or 21 days – they look expensive, but consider this: a return trip from Tokyo to Osaka costs about US$350, a 7 day JR Pass is about the same price, but you can travel as much as you want!

Spending money for Japan holiday

From the above totals, you would need at least 10,000 yen a day for basic accommodation and food. 25,000 yen on average per day would allow you to treat yourself to a special meal, buy some great souvenirs and regular nights out!

For a 14 day trip to Japan you would need about 200,000 yen for a decent time, over 350,000 yen you can go all out! As an example in Australian dollars, that is about $2,500 – $4,000.

Save money

If you’re like most of us, you will need to do a bit of saving in advanced to get that spending money. I stuck to a regime of $500 per month, straight into a high interest savings account. After a few months I have my spending money along with some additional interest to add to the total.

If you’ve travelled here like me, what were your Japan holiday costs, what do you think you might need next time?

Next you can get some information on using your money in Japan.

Related articles

• AUD to JPY – Get more Yen for your Australian dollar
• 7-Eleven Japan International ATM
• Using your money in Japan
• Japan on a Budget, Tips for Cheap Travel!