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Japan for £50 per Day? Surely not! Japan has a reputation for being one of the most expensive countries to travel in the world. In fact, many people choose not to visit Japan purely based on the prices. If you are one of these people, we have good news for you: Japan is not necessarily as expensive as you may have been lead to believe.
In fact, it is even possible to travel around Japan on as little as £50 per day (which is roughly $60). We have been lucky enough to visit Japan several times, and all of the information that we share in this article is based on our own personal firsthand experience and research. As a full-time travel family, we have a lot of practice traveling around countries as cheaply as possible.
So, if you have ever dreamed of traveling to Japan but you have been scared off by the prices, you really need to read this article. We will break everything down for you step by step and share some tips showing you how you can travel around Japan for as little as £50 per day.
LEARN MORE – don’t miss these Pro Tips to Travel Japan on a Low Budget
A Few Disclaimers
When we quote £50 per day, we are not including the cost of flights and travel insurance in this estimate. These costs will vary massively from person to person and depend on where you’re traveling from, so the figures that we use in this article are based on the cost of traveling around Japan (not the price of traveling to and from Japan). If you are wondering, you can find some relatively cheap flight routes to Japan. For example, if you’re in Southeast Asia, you can travel via the Philippines, and if you’re traveling from the West, you can travel via South Korea. Generally speaking, the earlier you book, the cheaper the flight.
FIND OUT MORE – Tips & Tricks to help you book cheap flights
Also, £50 per day, or $60, is based on the cost of a solo budget backpacker. If you are a couple or a family, it is actually possible to travel around Japan for an even lower cost per person. For example, as a couple, we would estimate £35 per day per person (which is around $40). This estimate is lower because you can share the cost of accommodation with your partner.
Japan Budget Travel Tips
Here are some super savvy Japan budget travel tips. Keep reading because we will expand on some of these points:
- Use public transport.
- Use Airbnb to make offers for accommodation (this is more effective in low season).
- Book longer stays and travel slower.
- Be prepared to squeeze into a small room.
- Use price filters to find accommodation and be flexible on your destination.
- Buy food from convenience stores like Family Mart or from supermarkets.
- Use long-distance buses rather than trains.
- Focus on affordable local activities.
- Avoid staying in the more expensive cities (especially Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nagoya); find smaller towns in the suburbs.
Japan for £50 or $60 per Day – Budget Breakdown
Here is a breakdown for a low cost trip to Japan. To find out what this really looks like keep reading:
- Accommodation: £30 or $36
- Transport: £5 or $6
- Food: £10 or $12
- Activities: £5 or $6
1 Accommodation in Japan
Average daily cost £30 or $36
If you’re traveling Japan on a low budget, accommodation is likely to be the most expensive part of your trip. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find any accommodation in Japan under £30 per night (from time to time you may find a small room in the £20-£30 price range). However, realistically, we recommend that you budget £30 per night for your accommodation. Accommodation prices in Japan depend on where you are staying and also on how long you are booking. You can find some better deals if you book a stay for over one month.
Airbnb is probably one of the best options for budget accommodation in Japan. Make sure that you use price filters to find the cheapest places available, be willing to look across a broad range of destinations, and you can contact properties directly to make an offer on your selected dates. If you’re traveling Japan on a low budget, you’ll need to be willing to squeeze into small rooms and sleep on futons on the floor (this is very standard in Japan). If you’re traveling as a couple or with kids, you can get the prices down by being willing to share a room instead of taking a whole apartment.
- Small City Apartment: £30 per night ($35)
- A Small Shared Room: £20 per night ($25)
2 Transport in Japan
Average daily cost £5 or $6
Transport in Japan can be surprisingly cheap. If you are traveling on a low budget, you will need to take public transport. For short local journeys, you can use subway systems to navigate around cities and local bus networks (which are often very cheap or free). Depending on your itinerary, it is possible to average as little as £5 or $6 per day on transport in Japan. Watch out for railway networks operated by small private companies. These rail lines generally offer relatively cheap and convenient journeys (many of them are not covered by the JR pass). For longer journeys between towns and cities, we recommend using long-distance buses (expect to pay around £20 or $25 for a few hours).
The Japanese subway systems can feel intimidating and confusing at first; however, they generally have signs in English, and you can find people who will be able to help you. Riding a subway is a great way to experience local life and travel around cities on a low budget. Typical subway prices range from 200-350 yen (approximately £1-£1.75 or $1.20-$2). Short local train journeys generally range between 200-400 yen (£1-£2 or $1.20-$2.50).
Top Tip
If you’re doing a lot of travel around a particular city, watch out for special tourist day passes and promotions.
If you’re traveling on a tight budget, we recommend that you avoid using taxis in Japan. Taxi prices typically range between 400-800 yen per kilometer (£2-£4 or $2.50-$5). Car rental is also a relatively expensive option in Japan, with prices typically starting at £50 per day or $60 (car rental may be worth it if you’re planning to do a lot of travel in a single day).
3 Food in Japan
Average daily cost £10 or $12
You may be tempted to think that food is one of the most expensive parts of traveling in Japan; however, this is not necessarily true. We have estimated a budget of £10 or $12 per person for food and drinks in Japan.
It is actually possible to have a very low food budget in Japan and still enjoy fresh, healthy, tasty, high-quality food. Even at the low budget end, Japan seems to have a consistent commitment to quality. Convenience stores like Family Mart and Lawsons are very widespread in Japan. You can even find convenience stores in some of the smaller rural towns and villages.
Japan also has plenty of supermarkets. Snacks in Family Mart typically cost around 200 yen (for this price, you can buy things like onigiri rice triangles, crisps, bread, and dried fruit). A ready meal in Family Mart generally costs between 400-800 yen (£2-£4). A sushi tray from a supermarket costs 600-800 yen (£3-£4 or $3.50-$5). If you are traveling on a very low budget, try to pick cheap, filling items like rice and then have one nicer meal per day (for example, a ready meal or sushi tray).
Another great way to fill up in Japan is to find a cheap sushi belt restaurant (for example, Kura Sushi has restaurants throughout Japan, and plates start at 125 yen).
To keep your costs down, you can also refill your water bottle from a tap. The water quality in Japan is very high, and you can drink water directly from the taps. If you are out and about, you can often find water fountains, and you can also top up your water bottle in many cafes and restaurants around Japan.
Top Tip
Aim to keep your food budget low by eating most of your meals from supermarkets and convenience stores. However, we also recommend you plan for the occasional treat. After all, why visit Japan if you’re not going to enjoy some of the incredible food available? The trick is to work out what food you really want to try and find the best places to try it as a one-off treat.
- Meal in a Traditional Restaurant: 1,000-4,000 yen (£5-£20 or $6-$25)
- A Bowl of Ramen: 700-1,200 yen (£3.50-£6 or $4-$8)
4 Activities in Japan
Average daily cost £5 or $6
Many activities in Japan are very cheap or completely free. If you’re traveling Japan on a low budget, you will need to plan your activities carefully and do things independently (rather than booking trips or tours).
To give you a feel for prices in Japan, day tours and trips typically cost between £50-£150 or $60-$180. If you do want to book trips and tours in Japan, we recommend using affordable platforms such as KLOOK and GetYourGuide. These platforms often use local guides (which offers better value for money and also allows you to connect with an English-speaking local). Many attractions in Japan are surprisingly cheap. Heritage attractions such as Nagoya Castle generally have very low entry fees (200-600 yen or £1-£3 or $1.20-$4). There are also plenty of free activities (for example, landmarks, temples, mountains, waterfalls, and so on).
There are some activities in Japan which will blow your budget. Special exhibitions, theme parks, and special experiences tend to be quite expensive in Japan. For example, a visit to an aquarium or a theme park like Legoland or Universal Studios can set you back at least £150 or $180. So, if you do include a few expensive activities in your itinerary, this will increase the average activity cost per day. In Japan, some of the best bits are genuinely free, so we highly recommend that you take time to research your itinerary and plan your trip carefully. Figure out the things that you really hope to see and do, and make sure that you budget for these things.
