日本的生活成本如何？

Scooter Campbell, Assistant Language Teacher
Most Japanese people don’t have a lot of money. The economy is actually very weak, and it have been for a long time. I remember my teacher telling me in the early 2000’s that part time jobs paid 800–900 yen per hour (about $10 Canadian), when Canadian part time jobs paid $5. Fast forward to 2019, and Japanese part time jobs still pay 800–900 yen while the minimum wage where I’m from is now $15/hour. Salaries are also quite low; a friend of mine lost about $10 000 a year moving from teaching to civil service. Because of this, most people don’t have a lot of money, which makes everything more expensive relative to their earnings.
 
大部分日本人的钱并不多。日本经济实际上非常疲软，这种情况已经持续很长一段时间了。我记得我老师在2000年代初曾告诉我，日本兼职的薪资是每小时800到900日元，差不多是十加元，当时加拿大的兼职的工资是每小时5美元。快进到2019年，日本兼职的薪资依然还是每小时800到900日元，而加拿大的最低时薪现在已经是每小时15美元了。正经工作工资一样很低，我朋友之前是教师，现在去做公务员，每年的工资还少了一万美元。正因为如此，大多数人没有什么钱，而身边的一切又不是自己工资能买得起的。
 
Something I hear from time to time is the cost of real estate. Apartments in Japan are tiny, and houses aren’t much bigger. But this is because there just isn’t the land for large Canadian-style houses, where everyone and every purpose has a separate room. Here, rooms need to service multiple functions, and it’s not unusual for siblings to share a bedroom far past when we might think it’s normal. Again, this might give the illusion that the country is expensive.
 
有时我会听到一些有关日本房价的消息。日本的公寓面积都很小，房子面积也不大。这是因为日本没有土地用来建造加拿大那样的大房子，在加拿大，每个人都有自己单独的房间。但在日本，房间有着多种功能，兄弟姐妹要共享一个卧室，这种情况在过去是很正常的，但现在，，，这可能会给人一种错觉，认为日本物价非常昂贵。
 
In truth, Japan isn’t that expensive. My bills all come in around the same cost as I would pay in Canada. Gas is a bit more expensive and train tickets can be quite high, but there are national-scale train lines that make commuting and non-car ownership possible. If you’re looking for a 7-room house, your rent is going to be very high, but a modest home is cheaper to rent than in Japan. Used cars are also far cheaper. And while produce can be very expensive, other food as well as eating out isn’t ($30 Canadian vs 1000 yen).
 
事实上，日本物价没有那么高。我在日本的账单和在加拿大的差不多。日本汽油可能会贵一点，火车票的价格也比加拿大高，但日本拥有全国铁路网，这使得不买汽车，依靠火车通勤成为可能。如果你想要找那种有七个房间的房子的话，租金就会非常高，但日本普通的房子价格更加便宜。日本的二手车价格也比加拿大便宜。虽然日本的农产品很贵，但其他食品并不贵，而且外出就餐也很便宜。
 
Steve Mcnamara, Bottom Scrawler (2018-present)
Answered November 24, 2015
I think that there are a few assumptions in this question that make it difficult to answer.
Should you come from a country that does worse economically than Japan, then yes, you may find it expensive. Should your personal financial situation be lower than the Japanese average, then it will seem expensive.
 
我认为这个很难回答，因为存在很多的假设条件。
如果你来自一个经济不如日本的国家，那么是的，你会发现在日本东西都很贵。如果你的个人财务情况在日本平均水平以下的话，那么你会发现日本的东西也会很贵。
 
Japan has a large (though diminishing) middle class. There is less economic disparity between households in Japan than in the US. This means that all prices are geared to a middle class, in a country in recession. This means deflation.
 
日本拥有庞大的中产阶级，虽然正在萎缩，日本家庭之间的经济不平等没有美国那么严重。这意味着在一个经济衰退的国家里所有的产品价格都是面向中产阶级的。这意味通货紧缩。
 
This, coupled with the gap between average wage and average housing price being much smaller in Japan than the US (and much, much smaller than in Australia), and you could find that Japan is really much more affordable. For example, I happen to know that the average inner city rent in Osaka is about $700 a month US. I can't say if that is expensive for you as I don't know where you are from, but compare it to the $2200 dollars you would be paying on average for inner city Sydney.
 
再加上日本的平均工资和平均房价之间的差距比美国小得多(也比澳大利亚小得多)，你会发现日本的生活更容易负担的起。例如，我碰巧知道大阪市中心的平均房租大约是700美元一个月。因为我不知道你来自哪里，所以我也确定这对你来说贵不贵，但与悉尼市中心平均2200美元的房租比，这已经很便宜了
 
Graham D Brown
I don't find Japan expensive.
It's cheaper in Japan today than it was when I first moved here in 1996. Partly due to the weak Yen, partly due to 20 years of deflation.
Today, Japan is more expensive than Spain but less than the UK, Australia, New Zealand and maybe the US.
 
我认为日本物价并不高
日本现在的物价比我1996年第一次来的时候要更加便宜。一部分原因在于日元走弱，一部分原因是通货紧缩。
现在日本的物价要高于西班牙，但低于英国、澳大利亚、新西兰，或许还低于美国。
 
Like all countries some categories of goods are more expensive others aren't.
What's Expensive in Japan?
That crazy Yuubari melon starts at $100 all the way up to $260 (caveat: this is a gift not weekly shopping)
How about 3 large Domino's pizzas delivered for $100?
Accommodation. Looks cheap when you consider the monthly rent but you have to factor in up to 6 months payment up front on top of your rent (key money, fees etc)
Dry cleaning at $8 a shirt? I might as well buy new shirts when they get dirty.
Movies. $20 a ticket sound reasonable?
Most fruit. $8 for a bunch of grapes.
Wine, esp imported wines.
 
和所有国家一样，有些东西更贵，有些不会
日本什么东西比较贵呢？
哈密瓜最低100美元，最高260美元（警告：这东西只能用来送礼，不能每星期都买）
感觉100美元三块达美乐比萨怎么样？
住宿。如果只看每个月的租金的话，你会觉得很便宜，但你必须要把预先支付六个月房租的这个因素考虑进来。
干洗一件衬衫要八美元。如果衬衫脏了，我或许会直接买新的
看电影很贵。你觉得20美元一张电影票合理吗？
大部分水果很贵。八美元可以买一串葡萄
葡萄酒，尤其是进口葡萄酒很贵。
 
What's cheap?:
Eating out and supermarket food is generally cheaper in Japan than most tier 1 economies
Eating out is generally cheaper and much higher quality than Europe and North America if you stick to regular local food. And remember here in Japan, no tipping!
Take away Sushi for $5 will taste better than most sushi costing $50 in other countries
 
日本什么东西比较便宜？
在日本外面就餐和超市里面的食物一般要比发达经济体更加便宜
与欧洲和北美相比，如果你坚持经常吃当地的食物，那么外出就餐一般会更加便宜，质量也更高。而且记住，在日本，不需要给小费。
5美元的外卖寿司比其他国家50美元的寿司更美味
 
Most everything in the convenience store (120 Yen $1 rice balls etc) Problem is you end up buying much more of them!
Transport - taxis and trains
Most vegetables, especially green leaf veg grown locally.
Japanese cars esp used luxury cars eg Lexus, Toyota Crown etc.
Taxis. Compared to London and NY.
 
便利店的问题就在于（120日元一个饭团）你最后买的东西的数量会超出自己的预期
交通便宜-出租车和火车
大多数蔬菜很便宜，尤其是本地种植的绿叶蔬菜。
日本汽车便宜，尤其是二手的豪华汽车，如雷克萨斯、丰田皇冠等。
出租车便宜。与伦敦和纽约相比，的确如此。
 
Kevin Cameron, lives in Japan (1995-present)
Its not.
A nice location apartment in Tokyo can be found for as little as $700 (compare that to an apartment in San Fran or New York) I live in Nagoya (not as big as Tokyo) and we have a huge three bedroom living room, dining room and kitchen with large bath area apartment for $900 / month.
 
日本物价并不贵
在东京，700美元就能租到地段不错的公寓（与旧金山和纽约相比，的确是很便宜了），我本人住在名古屋，房子很大，里面有三间卧室，一个客厅，一个餐厅，一个厨房，还有一个很大的浴室，每个月租金只需要900美元。
 
Food is cheap. Even high quality food. Some fruit is more expensive than in US, maybe grapes, but to be fair, Japanese grapes taste better, and being more expensive means you just eat less and savor them instead of gorging.
 
食物很便宜。即便是高档次的食物也不贵。有些水果比美国贵，或许是葡萄，但老实说，日本的普通更加好吃，价格更贵意味着吃的更少，要好好品尝它们，而不要狼吞虎咽。
 
I do have a car. I have to pay $100 / month for parking space, and regulations are stricter for car safety in Japan, so in two months I will have to dispose of my current car, and also I can not find a cheap clunker like one can in the US, so whatever car I buy will cost more.
 
我在日本有一辆车，每月必须付一百美元的停车费，在日本汽车安全法规更为严格,所以两个月后我必须处理掉这辆汽车，在美国要找到一辆旧车很容易，但在日本很难，无论我买什么车，都要花更多的钱。
 
I find that on average hotels are cheaper here than in the US. A very nice hotel or inn can be had for $40. In the US I am sure you can find one for $40, but it is probably not the most pleasant place to stay.
Buying things online is usually free for shipping - and it comes in two days. Compare that to the US where I paid $10 to get a small package shipped from Amazon and it took over a week.
 
我发现这里的酒店平均比美国的便宜。一个非常好的旅馆只要40美元。在美国花40美元也能找到旅馆住，但可能不会让你住的太愉快
在网上买东西通常是免运费的，而且两天就能到。相比之下，在美国，我花10美元从亚马逊买一个小包裹，要等一个多星期。
 
I just bought some fake legos at the $1 shop for my daughter. Four packs = $4. I would guess they have this in US shops as well, but still a very cheap toy.
Taking the train can get expensive, but children up to 3 (I forget) are free. Grade school kids are half price. Usually if you work at a company, the company pays for your train.
 
我刚刚在一元店里面给我女儿买了一些假乐高玩具，四包四美元。我猜美国也有这样的商店，但日本的依然还是很便宜。
坐火车可能会很贵，但3岁以下的孩子(我忘了几岁)是免费的。小学生半价。通常如果你在一家公司工作，公司会为你支付乘坐火车的费用。
 
Daniel Broudy, Research: social semiotics, propaganda, surveillance studies
Pushing 25 years in Japan, I see the cost of living as both completely outrageous and astonishingly cheap.
This holds for Okinawa, which appears to have a largely different kind of market than the mainland.
Land prices are absurdly high, as you might imagine, in the larger cities. Reasonable in more remote areas.
Automobiles, new and used, and used are reasonable. This goes for electronics.
The cost of fruit - strawberries, apples, cherries, melons, blueberries, etc. - is enough to make you want to smack the managers of markets (super- or farmers-). Everyone is likely to have seen the cantaloupes that go for over 100 dollars.
On the other hand, medical care is fabulous and astonishingly affordable.
A trip to the clinic last week to consult with an orthopaedic surgeon about a recurring knee problem, a resulting MRI, and an x-ray, all cost about 7,000 Yen, about 65 USD.
 
我在日本生活了近25年，我认为日本的生活成本既有高到离谱的，也有非常便宜的
冲绳也是如此，这里的市场和大陆大不一样。
正如你想象得那样，在大城市，地价非常得高，在偏远地区，地价就很合理。
不管是新车还是二手车，价格都很合理。电子产品也是如此。
看了水果的价格之后——草莓、苹果、樱桃、西瓜、蓝莓等等——足以让你气得想要打市场经理一顿。每个人都或许见过售价超过100美元的哈密瓜。
上周我膝盖问题复发就去诊所咨询了一位骨科医生，进行了核磁共振和X光检查，一共花了约7000日元(约合65美元)。
 
Shoulder surgery five years ago was approximately 22,000 Yen, then about 160 USD.
Other costs, too, are incomprehensibly reasonable. Visiting izakayas (restaurant/bars) for food drinks with friends/colleagues after work. A night of revelry will typically set you back about 4000 Yen, about 35 USD.
Clothing is typically reasonable.
 
五年前的肩部手术大约花了22000日元，按照当时得汇率算应该是大约160美元。
其他成本也非常得合理。下班后和朋友/同事到居酒屋(餐厅/酒吧)喝点东西。一晚上得狂欢基本只需要4000日元，大约35美元。衣服价格也很合理。
 
Erik Archer, Went to university in Kyoto, taught english, had a Start Up 2001 - 2008
Japan is not as expensive as people say.
I lived there 7 years, and here's are some tricks:
Learn a bit of the language, it will help you in the cheaper, local restaurants
Learn to love more than sushi, there's lots of affordable Japanese food and it's quite reasonable
Live outside the main city center; I had a sweet apartment about a 5 minute bike ride from downtown
Go to the grocery store; again, lots of affordable food
There's tons of affordable entertainment: karaoke bars, local clubs / bars. Most of these will only cost you about $10 entrance
 
日本得物价没有人们说的那么高
我在那生活了七年，以下是我的一些生活技巧：
学一些日语，这对你在当地更加便宜得餐馆用餐会有所帮助。
除了寿司，还有很多便宜的日本食物，而且价格也很合理
不要在主要城市市中心生活，我曾租过一套很不错得公寓，骑车到市中心只要五分钟
去杂货店购物;同样，这里也有很多价格实惠的食物
日本还有很多价格便宜得娱乐项目：卡拉ok酒吧，当地俱乐部。其中大多数门票只需要10美元左右
 
You can easily get beer for a couple of bucks in an izakaya, or other small restaurant (not to mention the vending machines)
Get a bicycle; it's totally a bike-friendly place
Go clothes shopping on the side streets; japan is the land of fashion, even their "cheap" stuff is way cooler than what I find in the U.S.
No tipping! This brings the price of a restaurant right back in line with places like the U.S. or U.K.
That being said, if you stay in the best hotels, only take the shinkansen, taxis and and sushi, yeah man, Japan can be crazy expensive.
 
在居酒屋或其他小餐馆花几块钱就能买到啤酒(更不用说自动售货机了)
买一辆自行车；日本是一个对自行车非常友好得国家
去街边小巷买衣服；日本是时尚的国度，我觉得即便是廉价的日本衣服也比美国货酷多了
不用付小费。这使得日本餐馆的价格和美国英国处于差不多的水平
如果你只住最好的旅馆，只坐新干线，出租车，只吃寿司，那么你会发现日本的物价的确会很高。

Gil Silberman
With the strong dollar and the high cost of living in San Francisco these days, Tokyo seemed inexpensive by comparison. Definitely better food for the price than here.
 
由于美元走强和旧金山的高生活成本，相比之下东京似乎不贵。以日本的物价来说，那里的食物肯定要比美国这里好。