Cost Of Living For a Student in Sendai 2024

Average monthly spending for students in Sendai

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

Students in Sendai spend around 210,000 JPY per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 32,000 JPY or as high as 1.4M JPY. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Sendai?

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

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Sendai typically spend from 14% to 25% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 19% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 49,000 JPY with expenditure ranging from 7,600 JPY to 330,000 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 Sendai ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 8,200 JPY with 1,300 JPY and 55,000 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 2,200 JPY to 96,000 JPY in a month on commuting with 14,000 JPY being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 4% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 10%.

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 Sendai is 41,000 JPY. The cost of groceries can range between 6,400 JPY to 270,000 JPY. Students spend on average about 23% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 17% and 27% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Sendai allocate 6% to 12% 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 9%. The range of medical expenses range from 1,900 JPY to 82,000 JPY with 12,000 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 1,600 JPY to 69,000 JPY with 10,000 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 18% of the monthly expenditure of students with 11% and 23% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 39,000 JPY per month with 6,000 JPY being the minimum spent amount and 260,000 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 Sendai

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Sendai?

Around 63% of surveyed students think that living in Sendai is affordable with proper budgeting while 38% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Sendai

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 options52%

Few low-cost options49%

Based on the survey, 52% of the students living in Sendai have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 49% 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 Sendai whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes61%

No39%

Based on the survey, 39% of the students living in Sendai said that they don't have an emergency fund while 61% 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 Sendai 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 Sendai

Rent Cost in Sendai

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

37,000 JPY

55,000 JPY

150,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$250

$370

$980

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

55,000 JPY

89,000 JPY

220,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$370

$590

$1,500

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

74,000 JPY

110,000 JPY

300,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$490

$740

$2,000

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

89,000 JPY

150,000 JPY

400,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$590

$980

$2,700

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

180,000 JPY

440,000 JPY

890,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,200

$2,900

$5,900

Townhouse monthly rent cost

150,000 JPY

220,000 JPY

630,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$980

$1,500

$4,200

House monthly rent cost

180,000 JPY

440,000 JPY

890,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,200

$2,900

$5,900

Villa monthly rent cost

220,000 JPY

550,000 JPY

890,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,500

$3,700

$5,900

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Sendai ranges between 37,000 JPY and 150,000 JPY, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 55,000 JPY to 220,000 JPY. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 74,000 JPY and 300,000 JPY per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 89,000 JPY to 400,000 JPY. The average rent of a townhouse in Sendai is around 220,000 JPY while house rental costs can be as high as 440,000 JPY per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 220,000 JPY to 890,000 JPY per month.

Apartment and house prices in Sendai

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

7.4M JPY

11M JPY

22M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$49,000

$74,000

$150,000

1-bedroom apartment price

8.9M JPY

15M JPY

55M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$59,000

$98,000

$370,000

2-bedroom apartment price

15M JPY

44M JPY

89M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$98,000

$290,000

$590,000

3-bedroom apartment price

49M JPY

74M JPY

220M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$330,000

$490,000

$1.5M

Townhouse price

63M JPY

150M JPY

550M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$420,000

$980,000

$3.7M

House price

74M JPY

440M JPY

630M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$490,000

$2.9M

$4.2M

Villa price

89M JPY

490M JPY

740M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$590,000

$3.3M

$4.9M

The average price of a studio apartment in Sendai can range from 7.4M JPY to 22M JPY depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 8.9M JPY to 55M JPY. A villa can cost you 490M JPY on average with prices ranging from 89M JPY to 740M JPY.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Sendai can be x97 to x177 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x97 multiples of the average monthly salary in Sendai.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Sendai is around 26%. This means that people pay 26% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 18% to 35% 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 Sendai

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

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

1,300 JPY

8,200 JPY

55,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$8.5

$55

$370

Internet and cable cost

2,500 JPY

5,000 JPY

6,700 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$17

$33

$44

Mobile phone bill and charges

2,000 JPY

3,300 JPY

10,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$13

$22

$67

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 8,200 JPY. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 2,500 JPY to 6,700 JPY with 5,000 JPY being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 3,300 JPY but can range between 2,000 JPY and 10,000 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 Sendai is around 4.2%. This means that people pay 4.2% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 1.7% to 7.6% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Sendai

Prices and cost of goods and services in Sendai

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

Fast food combo meal price

500 JPY

1,000 JPY

1,700 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.3

$6.7

$11

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Sendai is approximatly 1,000 JPY with meal cost ranging from 500 JPY to 1,700 JPY. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

1,600 JPY

2,400 JPY

4,700 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$10

$16

$31

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 1,600 JPY and 4,700 JPY with 2,400 JPY being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Sendai.

Fine dining meal for one price

3,200 JPY

4,700 JPY

19,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$21

$31

$130

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 3,200 JPY to 19,000 JPY with the average cost being 4,700 JPY for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Sendai.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

420 JPY

670 JPY

1,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.8

$4.4

$6.7

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Sendai is around 670 JPY. Price ranges between 420 JPY and 1,000 JPY depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

330 JPY

400 JPY

500 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.2

$2.7

$3.3

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Sendai is 400 JPY. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 500 JPY and the minimum being 330 JPY depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

250 JPY

330 JPY

500 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.7

$2.2

$3.3

A dozen eggs costs around 330 JPY on average with 250 JPY and 500 JPY being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

570 JPY

740 JPY

1,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.8

$4.9

$6.9

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Sendai is between 570 JPY and 1,000 JPY depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 740 JPY.

Pack of beef price

670 JPY

1,000 JPY

2,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$4.4

$6.7

$13

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 1,000 JPY. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

270 JPY

370 JPY

520 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.8

$2.5

$3.5

A bag of rice in Sendai costs around 370 JPY on average with prices rangeing between 270 JPY and 520 JPY depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

100 JPY

130 JPY

250 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.67

$0.89

$1.7

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 100 JPY to 250 JPY. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

180 JPY

230 JPY

390 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.2

$1.6

$2.6

A bag of apples costs 230 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 Sendai is around 22%. This means that students spend 22% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 15% to 27% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students