Cost Of Living For a Student in Hiroshima 2024

Average monthly spending for students in Hiroshima

How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Hiroshima?

Students in Hiroshima spend around 220,000 JPY per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 34,000 JPY or as high as 1.5M JPY. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Hiroshima?

We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Hiroshima typically spend from 15% to 26% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 20% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 54,000 JPY with expenditure ranging from 8,300 JPY to 360,000 JPY. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.

Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Hiroshima ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 8,900 JPY with 1,400 JPY and 60,000 JPY being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.

Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 2,400 JPY to 100,000 JPY in a month on commuting with 16,000 JPY being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 5% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 11%.

Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students

The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Hiroshima is 45,000 JPY. The cost of groceries can range between 6,900 JPY to 300,000 JPY. Students spend on average about 22% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 16% and 26% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Hiroshima allocate 5% to 11% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 8%. The range of medical expenses range from 2,100 JPY to 89,000 JPY with 13,000 JPY being the norm for most students.

Leisure and shopping expenditure for students

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 1,700 JPY to 74,000 JPY with 11,000 JPY being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 7% of total expenses with an average of 3% for most students.

Education and schooling expenditure for students

Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 42,000 JPY per month with 6,500 JPY being the minimum spent amount and 280,000 JPY being the maximum.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Hiroshima

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Hiroshima?

Around 68% of surveyed students think that living in Hiroshima is affordable with proper budgeting while 32% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Hiroshima

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options56%

Few low-cost options44%

Based on the survey, 56% of the students living in Hiroshima have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 44% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds For Students

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Hiroshima whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes66%

No34%

Based on the survey, 34% of the students living in Hiroshima said that they don't have an emergency fund while 66% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in Japan

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy69%

We asked student guardians and parents in Hiroshima whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 31% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 69% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether students of Japan have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 28% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 72% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance28%

Easily manages finances72%

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Hiroshima

Rent Cost in Hiroshima

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

40,000 JPY

60,000 JPY

160,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$270

$400

$1,100

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

60,000 JPY

96,000 JPY

240,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$400

$640

$1,600

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

80,000 JPY

120,000 JPY

320,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$530

$800

$2,100

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

96,000 JPY

160,000 JPY

440,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$640

$1,100

$2,900

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

190,000 JPY

480,000 JPY

960,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,300

$3,200

$6,400

Townhouse monthly rent cost

160,000 JPY

240,000 JPY

690,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,100

$1,600

$4,600

House monthly rent cost

190,000 JPY

480,000 JPY

960,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,300

$3,200

$6,400

Villa monthly rent cost

240,000 JPY

600,000 JPY

960,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,600

$4,000

$6,400

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Hiroshima ranges between 40,000 JPY and 160,000 JPY, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 60,000 JPY to 240,000 JPY. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 80,000 JPY and 320,000 JPY per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 96,000 JPY to 440,000 JPY. The average rent of a townhouse in Hiroshima is around 240,000 JPY while house rental costs can be as high as 480,000 JPY per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 240,000 JPY to 960,000 JPY per month.

Apartment and house prices in Hiroshima

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

8M JPY

12M JPY

24M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$53,000

$80,000

$160,000

1-bedroom apartment price

9.6M JPY

16M JPY

60M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$64,000

$110,000

$400,000

2-bedroom apartment price

16M JPY

48M JPY

96M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$110,000

$320,000

$640,000

3-bedroom apartment price

53M JPY

80M JPY

240M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$350,000

$530,000

$1.6M

Townhouse price

69M JPY

160M JPY

600M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$460,000

$1.1M

$4M

House price

80M JPY

480M JPY

690M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$530,000

$3.2M

$4.6M

Villa price

96M JPY

530M JPY

800M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$640,000

$3.5M

$5.3M

The average price of a studio apartment in Hiroshima can range from 8M JPY to 24M JPY depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 9.6M JPY to 60M JPY. A villa can cost you 530M JPY on average with prices ranging from 96M JPY to 800M JPY.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Hiroshima can be x105 to x191 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x105 multiples of the average monthly salary in Hiroshima.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Hiroshima is around 28%. This means that people pay 28% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 19% to 38% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Hiroshima

Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Hiroshima

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

1,400 JPY

8,900 JPY

60,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$9.2

$59

$400

Internet and cable cost

2,600 JPY

5,300 JPY

7,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$18

$35

$47

Mobile phone bill and charges

2,100 JPY

3,500 JPY

11,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$14

$23

$70

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 8,900 JPY. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 2,600 JPY to 7,000 JPY with 5,300 JPY being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 3,500 JPY but can range between 2,100 JPY and 11,000 JPY depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.

Energy / Utility expense to income ratio

The average utility-to-income ratio in Hiroshima is around 4.6%. This means that people pay 4.6% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 1.8% to 8.2% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Hiroshima

Prices and cost of goods and services in Hiroshima

Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.

Fast food combo meal price

530 JPY

1,100 JPY

1,800 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.5

$7

$12

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Hiroshima is approximatly 1,100 JPY with meal cost ranging from 530 JPY to 1,800 JPY. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

1,700 JPY

2,500 JPY

5,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$11

$17

$34

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 1,700 JPY and 5,000 JPY with 2,500 JPY being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Hiroshima.

Fine dining meal for one price

3,400 JPY

5,000 JPY

20,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$22

$34

$130

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 3,400 JPY to 20,000 JPY with the average cost being 5,000 JPY for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Hiroshima.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

440 JPY

700 JPY

1,100 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.9

$4.7

$7

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Hiroshima is around 700 JPY. Price ranges between 440 JPY and 1,100 JPY depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

350 JPY

420 JPY

530 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.3

$2.8

$3.5

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Hiroshima is 420 JPY. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 530 JPY and the minimum being 350 JPY depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

260 JPY

350 JPY

530 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.8

$2.3

$3.5

A dozen eggs costs around 350 JPY on average with 260 JPY and 530 JPY being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

600 JPY

780 JPY

1,100 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$4

$5.2

$7.3

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Hiroshima is between 600 JPY and 1,100 JPY depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 780 JPY.

Pack of beef price

700 JPY

1,100 JPY

2,100 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$4.7

$7

$14

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 1,100 JPY. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

280 JPY

390 JPY

550 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.9

$2.6

$3.7

A bag of rice in Hiroshima costs around 390 JPY on average with prices rangeing between 280 JPY and 550 JPY depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

110 JPY

140 JPY

260 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.70

$0.94

$1.8

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 110 JPY to 260 JPY. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

190 JPY

250 JPY

410 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.3

$1.6

$2.7

A bag of apples costs 250 JPY on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio

The average grocery-to-income ratio in Hiroshima is around 24%. This means that students spend 24% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 17% to 29% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students