The big MONEY question.... how much do I need to retire if I were to lead a nomadic lifestyle with my spouse? Singapore is a terribly expensive place to live in, but if one were to think positively (no choice, right?) the money earned in Singapore has more purchasing powers in other countries.
Take for example the Japanese Yen. When I first went to Japan 25 years ago the vending machines were selling drinks at 100yen. Well guess what? You can still find drinks at 100-120yen these days. With the exchange rate shifting from 60+yen to nearly 110yen per S$1, what used to cost me S$1.65 is now around $1.00.
Accommodations
So with that in mind, I think it is a relatively safe to say that rental will not increase excessively in Japan if one is looking for a place for long-term nomadic stay, especially alternative cities like Okayama or Hakodate where they might provide some really good AirBnB options. The rising trend will be co-living spaces if one is looking for a balance of cost and social interactions.
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| Kurashiki is a great destination! |
Like any city, peak season prices are exorbitant but if you book in advance one can still find reasonably priced AirBnB for around S$1,500-S$2,000. But do take note for some AirBnB listings, they do charge additional surcharges for utilities.
However, do not restrict oneself to just AirBnB options. Business hotels are relatively cheap depending on the location and season. For example, UNIZO INN Express Hakodate Ekimae near Hakodate Station in Hokkaido can go for just S$1,600-1,700/month. That's a fantastic location and includes housekeeping everyday. I would go for that if I don't cook!
Budget for Accommodation: $1,500 for 2 pax
Food
If you intend to eat out every meal everyday, then I think a S$40/day is enough to eat pretty well in Japan. In fact I don't think I will spend that much considering I've been eating light for either breakfast or lunch these days to keep my weight down.
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| I'll not be eating this everyday... maybe once a month! |
One cannot budget for a long-term nomadic lifestyle like a tourist. You are not going to eat expensive delicacies like you would as a traveler. Well... at least not that often...
Let's map out what a day will look like in terms of eating in Hakodate, Japan:
Breakfast
A typical day for me will be breakfast at Doutor. A German Hotdog and a cup of Royal Milk Tea? Sure~
But they have seasonal menus as well as some morning sets which goes for like ¥ 470~ I would say that's cheaper than Ya-kun or Toastbox these days... If you are not too big on breakfast then an Onigiri + Drink at the nearest convenience stall will only set you back like S$3.00.
Lunch/Dinner
A buffet meal at Gyukaku is between S$20-30… ridiculously low price when you compare to the price we pay in Singapore.
A sushi set meal goes from S$10-30. Ramen meal around $10-15. Many food courts serve meals costing no more than 1,000yen.
Snacks and such
Starbucks latte goes for 400+yen. But there are many other coffee chains in Japan with decent coffee for that price. Need a snack? Take a walk at the supermarket to taste all the samples~
Budget for Food: S$40 x 30 = S$1,200/mth for 1pax
Transport
Depending on the lifestyle one is looking for, it can be as cheap as 0yen to 20,000yen if you are taking the shinkansen somewhere. When in Japan I would recommend using the subway and JR lines as much as possible on a daily basis, and if looking to explore a bit more, try to get those 1-day tourist pass so you can travel to as many places as possible in one day.
Those 1-day passes usually cost 1,000-3,000yen and should be used when you feel adventurous and wishes to explore more on that day. But not all day passes makes sense to me.
For example the JR Tokyo 1-day pass is 1,600yen. On average its around 200yen to get from point-to-point on the Yamanote line. It's 8 trips to cover your cost.
Coverage of JR Tokyo 1-day pass
However the Hakodate City Tram 1-day pass only cost 600yen whereas normal trips average around 210-260yen. You would have earned the price of the pass by just stopping at 2 tourist attractions before making your way back to your original stop.
Best 1-day pass in my opinion~
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| Coverage of JR Tokyo 1-day pass |
However the Hakodate City Tram 1-day pass only cost 600yen whereas normal trips average around 210-260yen. You would have earned the price of the pass by just stopping at 2 tourist attractions before making your way back to your original stop.
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| Best 1-day pass in my opinion~ |
Budget for Transport: S$5 x 30 = S$150/mth for 1pax
Wifi/Internet
Depending on your usage, ReadyRoam on Singtel for 4Gb @ S$18/30days might be enough for some people but others might prefer the 20Gb @ US$26/30days from Airalo E-sim. Whichever the case, its very important to stay connected wherever we go.
Budget for Data: Approx S$40/mth for 1 mobile
Travel Insurance
A comprehensive annual travel insurance will cost around S$300-500/year. It’s going to be way more expensive on a per-trip basis.
Assuming one will be away for 6 months for a year that’s going to be between $50-100/month. Mandatory to get this.
Budget for Insurance: Approx S$100/mth for a family
Summary
It's going to cost quite a bit to stay in Japan for a couple.
Accommodations: S$1,500
Food: S$2,400
Transport: S$300
Wifi/Internet: S$80
Travel Insurance: S$100
Misc: S$300
Total Budget for Japan: $4,680 for 2pax/mth
On top of the above, there's also the return air ticket, but that's for another blog post. Do leave a comment if you think I've missed out anything or the figures are too high/low~
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