Planning on get a job in Kawasaki? Here's how much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kawasaki! Check out the full breakdown below!
Dreaming of life in Kawasaki, Japan? Wondering what income unlocks "comfortable" living there?
Dive into our guide! We crunch costs, explore neighborhoods, and unveil the magic number for your 2024 Kawasaki adventure. Buckle up - your financial roadmap to Japan awaits!
So, what are you waiting for, let’s get started!
How Much Do You Need To Earn To Live Comfortably In Kawasaki?
You would need to earn at least ¥250,000 - ¥350,000 per month to live comfortably in Kawasaki. This would cover your rent, food, transportation, and other basic expenses.
Here is a quick breakdown of some of the average monthly expenses in Kawasaki:
Essentials:
- Housing: ¥60,000-¥150,000+ (varies greatly depending on size, location, and type of accommodation)
- Utilities: ¥10,000-¥15,000 (includes electricity, water, gas)
- Internet: ¥5,000-¥7,000
- Groceries: ¥20,000-¥30,000 (cooking more at home saves significantly)
- Transportation: ¥10,000-¥20,000 (public transportation pass, occasional taxi rides)
- Mobile phone: ¥5,000-¥8,000
Discretionary Spending:
- Eating out: ¥10,000-¥20,000+ (highly variable depending on frequency and preferences)
- Entertainment: ¥10,000-¥20,000+ (movies, hobbies, outings)
- Clothing: ¥5,000-¥10,000+
- Healthcare: ¥5,000-¥10,000 (mostly covered by national insurance, additional for private expenses)
Of course, these are just averages. If you live in a more expensive area of Kawasaki, your rent will be higher. And if you have a car, your transportation costs will be higher.
But overall, ¥250,000 per month is a good starting point for determining how much you need to earn to live in Kawasaki.
Average Salary Breakdown In Kawasaki
The average salary in Kawasaki is around ¥3,932,594 per year, while the average cost of living for a single person or a bachelor is around ¥1105 per month.
On the other hand, the average cost of living for a family of four in Kawasaki is around ¥3201 per month. This is almost three-fold the cost of living for a single person.
Average Salary For Popular Jobs In Kawasaki
To give you a better idea of how much certain jobs in some of the industries in Kawasaki make, here’s a list that breaks it down with how much each job pays monthly.
| Job Title | Average Salary in Japanese Yen Per Year |
| Accountant | ¥4,250,000 |
| Chartered Accountant | ¥7,364,722 |
| Financial Manager | ¥10,691,538 |
| Office Manager | ¥5,136,500 |
| Secretary | ¥4,225,700 |
| Graphic Designer | ¥557,8601 |
| Pilot | ¥11,267,200 |
| Flight Attendant | ¥530,000 |
| Architect | ¥7,965,400 |
| Mechanic | ¥450,000 |
| Bank Teller | ¥380,000 |
| Teacher | ¥480,000 |
| Project Manager | ¥860,600 |
| Civil Engineer | ¥670,000 |
| Call Center Representative | ¥670,000 |
| Chef | ¥550,000 |
| Nurse | ¥4,609,700 |
| Developer/Programmer | ¥690,000 |
Cost Of Living In Kawasaki
The average cost of living in Kawasaki is around ¥1105 per month for a single person. This rough estimate of the average cost of living in Kawasaki covers rent, utilities, food, and leisure activities.
For a single person and with the average salary pay for certain jobs above in the table, it is pretty obvious that the cost of living is very feasible and realistic. However, we also made a rough estimate on how much it costs to live more comfortably in Kawasaki.
Our estimate says that the cost of living to live more comfortably in Kawasaki would be around 240,000 Yen or $1,750 USD.
The $281 USD increase would go to a better apartment in a more strategic and comfortable location close to public transportation, hospitals, markets, and schools.
A big chunk of this goes to rent every month and the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment inside the city center goes for about ¥82,500, while the rent for a one-bedroom apartment outside the city center is roughly ¥64,500.
There’s also an option of buying the real estate property outright instead of leasing and that’s where the mortgage percentages come in as mentioned earlier in the article.
In Kawasaki, average prices for an apartment inside the city center would go for about 600,000 Yen or $4,393 USD per square meter.
If that price is too steep for you, there’s a cheaper alternative when buying real estate property in Kawasaki and that’s in the suburbs or outside the city center. Property prices there go for about 400,000 Yen or $2,929 USD per square meter.
Cost Of Living In Kawasaki With A Family
Now, if you’re migrating to Kawasaki with a family, or if you’re considering starting a family in Kawasaki, the cost of living would differ quite a lot given the new set of costs that you have to consider especially when your children enter the equation in expenses.
To put things into perspective, you have to move into a much bigger apartment if you have your family with you, or if you’re planning to start a family in Kawasaki. The rent for a three-bedroom apartment in downtown Kawasaki goes for about 162,000 Yen or $1,182 USD.
If you’re tight on budget, you can always opt to rent an apartment outside downtown and that will set you back around 120,000 Yen or $878 USD. Given this data, we now have to adjust the cost of living to cater the needs of the whole family.
Our estimate for the cost of living in Kawasaki with a family would almost double at 362,000 Yen or $2,650 USD if you’re looking to live inside the city center with your family. This also covers the extra costs of raising children like daycare and clothing.
The estimated cost of living if you were to live outside downtown Kawasaki would be a lot lower though, since it is cheaper to rent a big apartment in the suburbs. The cost of living for that would be about 240,000 Yen or $1,750 USD.
One of the basis for these rough estimates apart from the rent cost data in Kawasaki is the rule of thumb of having a budget roughly twice as much as the cost of your rent to cover for your monthly needs and expenditures.
Average Utilities Cost Breakdown In Kawasaki
Utility expenses are as important as rent because they come hand-in-hand together in your living situation in Kawasaki. We’ll break down the utilities cost for you so you don’t have to!
The average cost for utilities in Kawasaki for a basic 85 sq. meter apartment goes for about 25,000 Yen or $181 every month. This covers electricity, cooling, heating, water, and garbage.
For the internet expenses, it costs around 4,200 Yen or roughly $31 USD every month for a 60 MBPS unlimited data internet line.
Average Transportation Cost Breakdown In Kawasaki
We all know that Japan has a very reliable public transportation system that makes it easy to go from place to place without the hassle and troubles of being late. The standard cost for a one-way ticket in Kawasaki is about 175 Yen or $1.29 USD. A monthly pass on the other hand costs about 9,100 Yen or $66.71 USD.
If you want to travel around Kawasaki while avoiding the large crowds and cramped spaces of the public transport, you can always opt for a convenient taxi ride around the beautiful city. The base price of the taxis in Kawasaki is 590 Yen $4.32, while each additional kilometer costs around 486 Yen or $3.56 USD.
If you want to invest in a vehicle, a standard and entry-level sedan fit for your daily commute and travel will set you back at around a million Yen or $7,322 USD. Having your own vehicle is a great investment especially if you have small children with you in the household.
Average Childcare Cost Breakdown In Kawasaki
If you’re starting a family in Kawasaki and both you and your spouse have a regular full-day job, then you must bring your children into a safe and conducive learning environment like a daycare when you’re out and about.
Daycares in Kawasaki would cost you about 444,000 Yen or $325 USD every month as a fee. On the other hand, if you’re looking to invest more into your child’s education by enrolling him/her into an international primary school, it will cost you about a million Yen or $7,322 USD each year in matriculation fees.
Average Food And Leisure Cost Breakdown In Kawasaki
We talked enough about the cost for basic needs to survive and thrive in Kawasaki, let’s now discuss the fun parts which are food and leisure. These activities are a must to destress and feel motivated to work another day.
The average cost for a simple meal in a restaurant is around 910 Yen or $6.67 USD, while the cost for a three-course meal for two at a good restaurant will cost you about 4,890 Yen or $35.8 USD. On the other hand, you can always go for a go-to fast food meal that costs about 640 Yen or $4.71 USD.
Joining a fitness club or a gym is a good outlet of stress as well and in Kawasaki, it will cost you about 10,100 Yen or $74.26 USD to join and pay as a monthly fee. However, if you’re looking to destress without all the sweat, you can always go for a movie and this will cost about 1,845 Yen or $13.51 USD.
How Much Do You Need To Earn To Live Comfortably In Kawasaki?
Kawasaki is a majestic city with a lot of activities to do apart from your job, and it is also a safe and amazing environment for your family if you ever decide to start a family of your own in Japan.
Just make sure that you’re fully prepared and aware of your next big move so the transition would be seamless and smooth into the beautiful city of Kawasaki.
We hope that this article has been helpful in giving you an idea how much you need to earn to live comfortably in Kawasaki, Japan.
