Study in Japan: How Much Will It Cost Me Initially?
In my previous post, I described the process of coming to Japan as a Japanese language student. Now that you have an idea of the "How to?", let's now talk about the "How much?"
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| Will this be enough? |
Education, no matter where you are in the world, is expensive. Even more so when you are aiming to study abroad. Studying in Europe averages about 20,000 USD in tuition fees, plus about 4,000 USD for living costs (food, utilities, phone, transportation, etc) per semester. Studying in Japan is no different.
In a glance, let me give you a simple breakdown as to how much you will need to initially prepare to come to study in Japan.
Tuition Fees
Yearly, language school tuition fees alone will cost about 700,000 yen. The cost will vary from school to school and the length of the program you choose. Take note that this amount does not include dormitory fees yet.
Depending on where you decide to study in Japan, costs do vary from place to place, as well as the size of the school. Most established schools tend to cost more because they are usually located in major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
In my school, Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー), there are only two programs available: 1.5-year and 2-year courses that cost 940,000 yen and 1,230,000 yen respectively. *The English version of the website seems outdated and is showing 4 courses, but confirming with the owner, there are only two programs available.
Depending on the school you apply for, you will be required to pay part of your tuition up front. Some schools, they require a year's worth of tuition paid initially. For some, 6 month's worth.
Initial Tuition Cost: 250,000 yen to 850,000 yen depending on the school.
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| Walking to school saves costs |
Dormitory Costs
Most language schools offer dormitories or at least will arrange accommodations for you. Compared to tuition fees, dormitory costs vary widely. Initially, a deposit will be required which can be returned depending on the state of the dormitory by the time you leave. When you leave, there will also be a cleaning cost that usually will be covered by the deposit.
Initial deposit cost: 100,000 yen to 250,000 yen. *Some schools tuck this into the tuition costs so be sure to ask the school whether this will be paid separately.
School Dormitories
These are typically shared rooms. There will always be a toilet and bath for each room but the laundry and kitchen may sometimes be shared.
Price range: In major cities, the price ranges from 20,000 yen to 60,000 yen a month. For smaller cities, it is a bit cheaper ranging from 15,000 yen to about 40,000 yen a month.
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| Typical dorm room |
Private Renting
For those students who prefer to rent their own, it is possible to find your own accommodation. This will usually be for those who are accustomed to a certain way of life and have more spending power. Rent will depend on the location, size, and accessibility of the apartment.
Price range: Anywhere from 30,000 yen to 100,000 yen a month.
Homestay (Relatives)
Some students prefer to study in a school in the area where their relatives stay. In this case, schools usually allow students to opt to stay with relatives. This would usually prove to be the most cost-effective as relatives tend to charge less (sometimes free) for their stay.
Price range: Depends on your agreement
Cost of Living
When studying abroad, you will have to take every little cost into consideration. When you live at home, you rarely have to worry about food when you get home because the fridge is always accessible. When you get to Japan as a Japanese language student, you can work for 28 hours a week so you will have spending-money but it is advisable to bring two months' worth of food, utilities, and other allowances when you first come to study in Japan.
Food allowance: 20,000 to 40,000 yen (depending on how lavishly you eat)
Utilities: 30,000 yen to 50,000 yen (depending on what season it is when you arrive)
New phone plan with a new budget phone: 35,000 yen
Initial health insurance premium payment: 16,000-18,000 yen
Initial budget (two months worth) Total: 125,000 yen
Food
The average cost for a bento box in Japan is about 500 yen. A bento comes complete with rice, a meat dish, and vegetable side dishes. If you are in a pinch, you can opt to buy an onigiri (riceball) instead. They cost about 100 yen apiece. Cup noodles are also available at about 100 yen. You can save the most if you cook at home and bring your own bento (packed lunch).
Restaurant meals will usually cost you about 1500 yen for a decent set meal.
Price range: Depending on how picky you are with food, a budget of 10,000 yen should suffice. If you are a big eater or if you prefer eating out, set aside a bigger budget.
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| Beautiful Japanese-style set meal |
Utilities
Basic utilities are electricity, water, and gas. Utility costs vary per season and hands down, winter is the most expensive. On top of these, you also have internet fees and if you drive a car, you will also have to pay a monthly parking space fee.
Price range: Peak season (aka winter and summer) basic utilities can cost up to 25,000 yen a month. On off-peak seasons you can safely allot 15,000 yen a month. Internet fee averages at 5,000 a month (if you have your own connection) and parking spaces cost about 4,000 yen a month.
Phone
If you have a current iPhone (from the last two years), chances are, all you will need to do is to update your country setting and you are all set. If you're using android, your phone might work with some networks, but it really depends. If you want to check if your phone will work you can use this website. Personally, I think that getting a phone with a plan works the best for Japanese language students because the phone will be tailored to Japanese apps and the provider itself. The cheapest phone plan you can get is around 3,500 yen a month for about 1GB of data. Phone providers also charge a processing fee of about 3,500 yen which will be charged to your first bill. If you aren't picky with your gadget, a budget of 30,000 yen for a new phone is sufficient. But if you're planning to get the latest model, prepare about 120,000 yen.
Price range: New phone plan with a new budget phone: 35,000 yen
Taxes and Insurances
If you are staying in Japan longer than 90 days, you will be required by law to join the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) regardless of nationality.
As a student, you will be paying about 16,000 yen per year. You will have the option to pay monthly or pay it as a whole. It is less of a hassle if you just pay it upfront so you no longer think about it. You will receive a bill in the mail that you will have to pay in a convenience store.
Another bill that you may receive is the National Pension (日本年金機構). Anyone aged 20 to 59 is required by law to contribute to the National Pension System although as a Japanese language student you can apply for an exemption due to the fact that you are not earning a full-time wage. If you do get this, you can ask help from your school to apply for the exemption.
Plane Tickets and Visa Application
The last expense that you will need to consider is travel costs. The biggest chunk is will be the plane ticket. I'm from the Philippines and regular priced tickets are around 30,000 yen. If you're lucky and are able to catch a sale, it can go as low as 10,000 yen. Another cost you have to consider is visa processing fees. From experience, I spent about 6,000 yen for the whole process. In the Philippines, the Japanese embassy does not process direct applications so you will have to go through an accredited agency to process your visa.
Plane Ticket and Visa Processing: 16,000 to 36,000 yen
Grand Total: Anywere from 400,000 to 1,000,000 yen
This is a rough estimate of how much money you will need to prepare to go to Japan as a Japanese language student. From time to time there are even cheaper options depending on the school. The key is to ask. These schools have been in the business a long time and they may have ways of accommodating you so don't hesitate to ask.
Are you ready to study in Japan? Check out my post about part-time jobs Japanese language students can do.
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