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Tokyo 2nd most expensive city for expats after Moscow

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Moscow is the world's most expensive city for expats, while Tokyo has pipped London to move into second place, according to a global cost of living survey published Thursday.

The study takes New York as the base measure for prices, comparing over 200 items, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment, in 143 cities across the globe.

Europe and Asia dominate the top 10 in the study by British-based consultancy firm Mercer, while the Paraguayan capital Asuncion is the least expensive for the sixth straight year.

The weakening dollar has a key impact on costs for expatriate staff, making American cities comparatively cheap for non-Americans while U.S. executives sent abroad by their firms face huge bills in dollar terms.

"Moscow's position as the most expensive place for expatriate living has been strengthened by the appreciation of the ruble against the U.S. dollar and ... rising accommodation costs," said Mercer research head Yvonne Traber.

"Although the traditionally expensive cities of western Europe and Asia still feature in the top 20, cities in eastern Europe, Brazil and India are creeping up the list," she added.

The Russian capital is the world's most expensive city for the third straight year, with a cup of coffee in a Moscow cafe priced at $10.40 including service.

Other Asian cities in the top 10 include Seoul in fifth and Hong Kong in 6th. Osaka is just outside the top 10 at number 11.

North America is the place to go for cheap living: New York is its only city to feature in this year's top 50 in 22nd place, dropping seven places on its 2007 ranking.

"On the bright side, the U.S. dollar's loss of value may serve to attract globally mobile executives to business centers such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles," said Traber.

"The difference in cost of living can be significant, particularly for those executives with families," she added.

In the Middle East, Tel Aviv remains the most expensive city in 14th place, while Dubai and Abu Dhabi have dropped to 52 and 65 respectively, mainly due to their currency being pegged to the dollar.

© Wire reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

77 Comments
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Well, I'm sure many people in other countries spend close to 10 dollars a day at their local starbucks and starbucks imitations with the latest fancy mocha drinks.

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I think the major expense here is to do with ex-pat housing and the ridiculous rents being charged. Another factor would be the outrageous charges for children activities which people pay because they have no choice and the company is paying rents and COLA so what else to spend your money on?

For example one popular US children's gym in the US is $60 per month and here it is 18,900 yen - three times the cost. Undoubtably a large amount of that is due to rent.

On the whole I find it cheaper to live here than London. If you avoid the overpriced restaurants around roppongi and get out a bit more you can get some reasonable priced goods and services - compared to London that is!

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Well, for many of the expats in Tokyo (not this one) most of the expense is covered by their companies. Many do not pay for rent (and the associated key/deposit fees), utilities, children's education costs, etc. etc... So in that sense, it's not expensive for them at all. For the regular Joe (this one), it can be pricey but you have to use your head and be mindful of your wallet, boring as that sounds.

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Is this something to be proud of?

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Maybe if you live in a western-sized apartment in Azabu or Roppongi, send your children to international schools and drive around in taxis all the time...

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Ha ha - quite right Altria. It's dead expensive when you live in the expat lebensraum of Hiroo or Azabu and you can only get 100 sq.m for JPY 1 million a month in rent. And even Filipina maids to look after Junior are SOOOO much more expensive here... (rolls eyes) These rich expats are, in some cases, simply living on another planet - and arguably not in real Japan at all.

Tokyo is way cheaper than living in London, and in terms of crime the quality of life is definitely higher. You could offer to pay me 10 times as much as my current decent living and there's still no way I'd move to Moscow. Not a chance

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Have to agree with Altria & frontnandcentre.

I live in an apartment that is about the same size as the place my family had in Europe(plus a biig roof-terrace & standard balcony). In total over 100sqm(2 bedrooms and a large living room) and I pay about 12man/month for my loan(rent would be another 2~3man). Never mind the extra luxuries like fancy toilet-seat, Intercom, auto-lock, fully remote controlled bathroom, etc.

We got all the comforts and conveniences close-by and are about 18 min from Shinjuku and similar from Shibuya. My train commute to my last work took 35 min(no transfer) and I worked close to the TSE.

Yeah, maybe my place is small for american standard but for a family of 3 and my european standards it is luxurious and sufficient.

And, YES, London has gone very expensive, actually most european major cities are not that cheap.

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Don't believe it. God knows what junk methodology these people use but in terms of people with ordinary lifestyles London has got to be 20% more expensive than Tokyo.

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It's not so difficult to live cheaply in Tokyo without being a complete scrooge. You've just got to be sensible. However, it's also just as easy or even easier to go out and blow a hundred bucks on nothing.

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serindipity.

Agree it is dead-easy to blow the cash in Tokyo if you are not careful.

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Zen Builder where can you find such an affordable place to buy in Tokyo. I live in Setagaya and can find nothing good less than 30 man.

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Is Tokyo more expensive for foreigners than locals or is it the same?

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I wonder where Saitama ranked?

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ROT.

Depends on your contract. If you are locally employed there is a good chance you will get paid the going rate(ie same as a japanese worker). If you get transfered from overseas on a fixed contract usually most of your bills are covered and salary adjusted.

ronaldk:

You can find those places in nerima,musashino-shi(where I live), etc. Said that we initially looked into buying a house but when considered price and commuting distance/convenience we settled for an apartment closer(musashino-shi north of mitaka station). We bought from plan. FYI, I lived in Shakuji-Koen and Kichijoji prior to buying current place.

Same way you can find affordable places along the yamanote-line just forget the big station names, etc.

But for 30man/month you can get a very decent place/house with garden within easy commuting distance, even within azabu, etc there are many deals to be had.

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Try living cheaply in central London. My small flat is 2.5 times the price of my former house in Azabu. Then there is every kind of imaginable tax added to ones 40% income tax. Your left with wondering why you are even working in the UK. Basically all the workers are paying for all the illegals to lay about on benefits and fat housing allowances. I say let them move into blue sheeted houses under a bridge and give me back my hard earned salary. Tokyo is definitely not more expensive than London.

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Tokyo is a pretty good deal for the majority of expats, I'd say. You can actually save money if cut down on the alcohol. Cheap public transportation, cheap and good quality food, relatively cheap housing if you don't mind sleeping in a box, and best of all, relatively cheap broadband access. The only thing that sucks is that you have to pay 10 dollars to buy a peach.

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I found many japanese like europeans prefer to socialize outside their homes, besides close friends.

Which is not a problem but might seem strange to people from a culture where they socialize a lot at home.

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Thanks!

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Tokyo is not expensive if you are sensible with whatever money you have.

Take 5 examples. To go 5 stops on the tube in London is 1200 yen, in Tokyo it is about 200. In my hometown Sydney, tobacco is $10 a pack, here it is under 300 yen. A bottle of Absolut vodka in Sydney is $50, here I get it for 1500 yen. Childcare in Sydney is on average $100 a day, that equals about 200,000 yen a month, in Tokyo it is 20,000 yen. My very local fruit and vege shop,(it depends where you live in Tokyo) is on average 20-30% cheaper than if I was shopping in Australia.

As much as many foreigners here gripe about Japan and its problems(myself included), there are many advantages of being here, one being the opportunity to save money here compared to in our home countries where inflation, rents, utility costs and most others have soared in the past 5 years. Otherwise I would not still be here.

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FineDiner.

I fully 100% agree, you just got to know your local suppliers, etc. If you just want overseas foods/brands you will pay, same if you don't go for the shops where the locals shop.

A 100yen can be cheap but at times you can find stuff cheaper at the super. Just need to network and keep up to date with the locals.

Yes, I that is tough for many ex-pat wifes who get dumped in the deep-end while hubby is at work and they got to supply certain meals, whatever without speaking the lingo, etc.

IMHO, the ex-pat wifes got it the toughest, expected to do daily stuff with no adjustement period, etc. Yeah, hubby might get language lessons but do they get it?

Just my view.

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agree with you guys. I'm not from the UK, but saving major dough from not having to own a car (company pays for train commuting) and all that goes along with it: insurance, repairs, maintenance, soaring gas prices etc, getting taxed WAY LESS, etc.

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Not to mention thousands of restaurants in Tokyo where you can walk in a pay 500-1000 yen for a satisfying meal and good service. In London or Sydney a min. $20 will get you a basic, possibly crud meal with bad service.

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I would say London is more expensive than Tokyo.. depends how you live I guess or narrow your criteria (as with this type of survey which often get misquoted out of context).. maybe not doing as the romans do in tokyo is going to push up your costs compared to a normal person. I've never know a Japanese person go to the uk and think wow how cheep it is there! usually its shock at how expensive it is and what you get (servoce goods quality housing hotels) isnt worth what you paid.

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These Mercer stats are for expats sent abroad on expat packages. So then, the rents in Azabu and other exclusive areas are going to factor in, international school costs for kids, etc. This has no relevance to most expats living a local lifestyle. As many of you have pointed out, one can maintain a reasonably comfortable lifestyle here, especially if one is willing to commute and live in Saitama or Chiba - rents are much less expensive.

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>comparing over 200 items, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment

Hang on!!! London is more expensive for all of the following;

Residential proprty prices Rent Eating out both at fast food pits or decent restaurants The cost of a pint Travelling anywhere on the tube, bus or overland train network Taxis Packet of fags Petrol Tickets to the Theatre Tickets to a football/rugby/cricket match

On top of this Londoners pay higher Income tax, higher National Insurance Contirbutions and higher Local Authority Council Tax and we tip at 12%.

Who on earth makes these lists and do they get paid for doing them is what I want to know?!?!

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what is this man currency some of you speak off? :O

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"expats"

Foreigners who don't think twice about spending 400 yen for a frappachino.

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We should add to the 200 items. Cost of a night of karaoke Cost of local fast food (a bowl of ramen in Tokyo vs a hotdog in NYC) Cost of buying a six-pack of domestically brewed beer Cost of hanky-panky at a massage joint :p

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A bowl of Ramen in Tokyo ??? 700-900 yen ($6.80-$8.80) ! A west coast hot dog ? $2.18 !!!

Cost of a movie in Tokyo 1800 yen ($17.00) ! Cost of a ticket on the West Coast, varies... tightwad tuesday ? $3.00 ! Otherwise, $6.00-$7.00 !

Beer ??? Hell a Budweiser goes for $1.89 a can in Tokyo !!! I get em for half that price on the west coast !

Sorry... but Japan remains ridiculously expensive... and it doesn't need to be so ! if they would just open their markets to free and unfettered trade ! But as is... apples at 189 yen each ($1.70) !!! Or 6 slices of bread for 178 yen ($1.60) ??? I get 20 slices for that price !

Oh and Sarge..."Foreigners who don't think twice about spending 400 yen for a frappachino"

Actually, it's McDonalds coffe at 100 yen a shot that outsells the competition in Japan... BTW, whatever happened to starbucks big $1.00 coffee campaign ?

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"A bowl of Ramen in Tokyo ??? 700-900 yen ($6.80-$8.80) ! A west coast hot dog ? $2.18 !!! Cost of a movie in Tokyo 1800 yen ($17.00) ! Cost of a ticket on the West Coast, varies... tightwad tuesday ? $3.00 ! Otherwise, $6.00-$7.00 ! Beer ??? Hell a Budweiser goes for $1.89 a can in Tokyo !!! I get em for half that price on the west coast !"

So, for example, according to you movie tickets in Japan are expensive BECAUSE in the US they are cheaper???? Everything in Japan is expensive BECAUSE it's all cheaper in the US??

So...the US sets the standards..right?

Ever seen a movie in Cambodia...;)?

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"Actually, it's McDonalds coffe at 100 yen a shot that outsells the competition in Japan"

You mean that coffee they make fresh but keep warm on a hot plate for ages? Not even worth 50 yen!!! Why are you so proud of that cheap quality, Westurn?

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"ex-pats"

Foreigners who live in luxurious accomodations paid for by their employers and don't think twice about spending 5000 yen for lunch or 15,000 yen for dinner.

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Typical roomtemp, kickin', spittin' and clenchin' those toofers to the grinding point ! Bwahaha ! Listen up Euro... you about to get worked again !

"Everything in Japan is expensive BECAUSE it's all cheaper in the US?? So...the US sets the standards..right?"

Ummm roomtemp... did you even read this article ??? If you had then you would have realized that it was not me who or the US that sets the standards at all. Here, lemme help ya...

"The weakening dollar has a key impact on costs for expatriate staff, making American cities comparatively cheap for non-Americans while U.S. executives sent abroad by their firms face huge bills in dollar terms."

Now roomtemp, when you throw in the fact that the US has the worlds most open markets and ranked once again #1 in terms of international competitiveness... well, it all makes sense ! At least for some of us ! Bwahaha !

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Westurn...I'll keep it simple for you. Listen to this..and please forget about open or closed markets. It'll only confuse you.

A can of Budweiser on the West Coast costs you about 95 cents, right? So it should cost the same in Tokyo....right? Because you say: "I get em for half that price on the west coast !"" Hearing your frustration that Tokyo doesn't have the same prices as the US. Tell me.......which other country has same prices as the US!!!!

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More confusion for poor roomtemp...

"A can of Budweiser on the West Coast costs you about 95 cents, right? So it should cost the same in Tokyo....right?"

The same ? No... but twice the price ??? You be gettin' price gouged ! What happened to all that price defla we been hearin about ? And isn't the dollar pegged at almost 104 yen to the dollar... almost even ? But thats all moot cause everyone will tell you, alcoholic drinks are expensive in Japan because of the taxes levied ! Pretty plain and simple ! Beer is a luxury item here in Japan... a simple thing in life in the US... now which would you prefer ?

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Westurn. Let me keep it VERY simple for you then......don't expect to see same prices around the world as in the US. Clear?

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"don't expect to see same prices around the world as in the US. Clear?"

Very Clear ! The US system of open markets, efficient distribution networks, and free trade are the envy of the planet ! Why is pointing this out such a problem for roomtemp ? Tokyo ??? 2nd most expensive for many reasons... the main being closed markets and unfair trading practices, plain and simple !!!

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Westurn still doesn't see it!!! Opened markets...closed markets....BS!!! Simple....prices for goods can't be compared with prices for the same goods in other countries. Plain and simple.

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I am with roomtemperature.

You need to compare prices vs income(ie percentages not figures). Salaries are adjusted.

I have done a fair bit of business travels globally and found that my Yen drains very fast in certain cities(London, etc).

Some cities in the US are more expensive than others to travel too, same with any country.

Said that I don't live any poorer in Tokyo than I would back home or another place as I usually tend to earn the local rate.

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Also you need to look at imported items vs local items.

There is NO WAY that an imported item will cost the same as in its origin country even with open-markets, etc. The profit margin just isn't there.

So comparing Product X vs Product X in a country that imports it is flawed from the beginning. Yes, production/etc cost might be similar in both countries but demand usually is not.

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Ah... open markets...

That must be why cigarettes costs $8 a pack in New York...

and I don't recall the last time I saw a movie in LA for $6.00... usually, on a weekday night (not a bargain matinee since I work for a living...) was $12.00 a ticket at the AMC in Universal City... but then again, I don't mind paying a little extra in Japan for the reserved seats as opposed to the non-reserved system in the States...

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"ex-pats"

Foreigners who have money coming out their ears and don't think twice about sending their kids to international schools or loading up their shopping carts at the supermarket with 30,000 or more worth of stuff.

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Looks like the Euro Japan apologists are out in full force...

Roomtemp writes: "Opened markets...closed markets....BS!!!"

Hmmm, not BS... explains why Japanese rice prices are 10x's the world average ! Ever try to get oishii American beef ? How about some butter !

Zenbuilder chimes in: "You need to compare prices vs income(ie percentages not figures). Salaries are adjusted."

Wrong again bucko ! You need to compare prices in terms of "purchasing power" !!! Just exactly how much does your salary purchase is a better key to understanding "expensive versus inexpensive". And by this scale... as you can see by this article.... Japan is expensive ! Your ol mighty yen in Japan just doesn't buy as much as the ol mighty dollar does in the USA !!!

Zenbuilder then goes on with this nonsense, or should I say "zenbuilder logic"... "There is NO WAY that an imported item will cost the same as in its origin country even with open-markets, etc. The profit margin just isn't there."

Hmmm, so why does a large can of Kirin beer sell for $2.18 at Uwajima on the west coast and almost 500 yen here in Nippon ??? Dumping maybe ??? Wouldn't be the first time for Japan ! Actually Uwajima is an interesting store... they mark everything up, all the imports from Japan, across the board a mere $1.00 ! Now Japan ??? Ever try to get a magazine from the states here ??? Double the price ! Why ??? It's just a magazine ! Because kiddies... Japan's markets are not open to free trade ! America is ! Which is why we shop on-line at Amazon !

And poor kwabish... sucked into a discusion way too deep to handle... get out mate yer drownin here !

"K" writes..."Ah... open markets...That must be why cigarettes costs $8 a pack in New York"

Uhhh, no kwabish... cigarettes are expensive as they are taxed to the hilt ! Interestingly enough America is so open you can pretty much get any kind of cigarette you want from almost anywhere on the planet in NY !

And this kwabish ... speaks volumes !

"I don't mind paying a little extra in Japan for the reserved seats as opposed to the non-reserved system in the States..."

"Reserbed seats for a movie ??? Care to explain why they have such a system here in Japan ? Never mind... I will ! In Japan it is common to "oversell" the theatre. And in some cases you have to either stand in the aisle to watch or wait by the door till the movie has ended and then rush and fight your way to a seat... I'm speaking from experience now ! I can't believe they "oversell" the seats ! It's a fire danger in most first world countries but Japan... thank god for reserved seating heh ! And at almost $20 bucks a ticket... by god there better be a seat available !!! "Reserved seating" for a movie ??? Bwahaha !!!

Final note to the above posters who consistently post during late hours of the night here in Japan. If you don't live in Japan and suffer from it's poor quality of life, please don't try to lecture us about how wonderful it is or try to tell us "other parts of the world" are the same ! We know better !!!

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Westurn has obvioulsy not ever seen Kirin Ichiban cans sold in the US. Molson breweries licenses and sells the Kirin brand in Canada and the US.

Comprehension, you say? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

By the way, reserved premium seating is the hot item in the US right now. When was the last time the US of A let you in????

What a maroon....

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Oh, and by the way, Kirin (and Asahi and Sapporo for that matter) sold in the US has ENGLISH labels... it's the law. Including the mandatory US governmental warning...

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Westurn.

Did you even read my post, the same can of Kirin is MORE expensive in the west than in Japan, when compared to a japanese or even an US salary. Also how many americans will choose a kirin can vs a cheaper US brand, remember I said limited market. You just don't get economics.

And, FYI, purchasing power = percentage to income. Or you trying to tell me that americans pay a lower percentage for housing/health insurance/ etc than Japan, etc.

Got it now.

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"Ever try to get oishii American beef ? How about some butter !"

I'll have oishii Aussie beef. Available everywhere at cheap prices. Keep the arrogant US beef to yourself!! Butter, you say? What about it? My supermarket is loaded with it. So, what are you trying to say with "butter"?

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Westurn's facts are obviously off:

A bowl of Ramen in Tokyo ??? 700-900 yen ($6.80-$8.80) !

Wrong! Cheapest bowl of ramen in Tokyo? 180 yen. For a decent bowl? 300-500 yen (even cheaper when you get them from the little stand-up eki shops) For better quality ramen? 750-900 yen.

A west coast hot dog ? $2.18

Why a west coast hot dog? Why not try a simple "Weenie Hut" original hot dog for $3.59 or a black angus all-beef hot dog for $5.49? Your $2.18 dog couldn't even begin to fill up the average salaryman (whereas a 230 yen kakisoba at the eki soba/udon shops could).

Cost of a movie in Tokyo 1800 yen ($17.00) !

Uh, yeah, but on "tightwad" couples day, ladies day, and the first of every month, it's 1000 yen ($9.00). In New York, $10 for the price of a movie (and that was back in 2003).

http://money.cnn.com/2003/12/31/news/funny/nyc_flix/index.htm

Hell a Budweiser goes for $1.89 a can in Tokyo !!!

You obviously don't know how to shop, do you? The local sake shop I go to sells a tall can of Asahi for 149 yen.

Sorry... but Japan remains ridiculously expensive... and it doesn't need to be so ! if they would just open their markets to free and unfettered trade !

Yes, the U.S. is the most open country to trade, at roughly 3.5%, but Japan remains close at 6.1%. In fact, the U.S. and Japan are #1 and #2 in terms of openness to trade among developed countries. Other countries like Canada, Russia, and France have higher percentages. Of course, other countries around the world like Bolivia, Guatemala, and Ecuador have percentages twice or three times that.

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More nonsense from westurn:

And at almost $20 bucks a ticket... by god there better be a seat available !!!

uh, where the hell did you get $20? Last I heard, the dollar was trading at 104, so that would mean 1800 yen is roughly 17 dollars!

Oh, and I don't know about you, but last time I hit a matinee here in Japan, I was able to get a whole row of seats to myself, because there were very few people in the theaters in the daytime. Ever hear of the word "matinee"?

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Now for roomtemp...

"I'll have oishii Aussie beef. Available everywhere at cheap prices. Keep the arrogant US beef to yourself!!"

Arrogant beef ??? I dear say could you explain that tantrum to the rest of us ?

"Butter, you say? What about it? My supermarket is loaded with it. So, what are you trying to say with "butter"?

Butter has been missing from the shelves of Japanese supermarkets for months now ! And when it does appear... almost 480 yen for a small cube... thats almost $4.50 US for a cube !!! Why hasn't Japan opened its doors to importing this product from other nations that can offer it cheaper and more efficiently ??? Becasue ??? The markets are closed ! And... the customer gets screwed in the end ! thats why, as this article states Tokyo Japan is, once again, in the top 3 of the worlds most expensive cities... why the Euro crowd can't understand this seems to reflect on a poor education or lack of common sense. Which is it ? I mean the numbers are pretty clear here in this article... and the hundreds before it stating how expensive Japanese cities are ! Year after year the same thing ... Japanese cities rank in the top 3 as most expensive !

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freakashow cracks me up ! he starts out with this...

"Westurn's facts are obviously off" and ends with this...

"For better quality ramen? 750-900 yen."

Hmm, isn't that what I said ??? I mean how far "off" am I ?

On dogs he asks...

"Why a west coast hot dog?" I dunno... why not !

"Your $2.18 dog couldn't even begin to fill up the average salaryman"

I dunno, filled me up, but then again I'm an American... can't compete with them metabolic salarymen I'll give you that !

but fyi... A 7/11 dog with all the trimmings including chili, cheese, kraut etc... just over $2 ! I was in Ueno station tonight... crummy dog runs ya almost $5 ! And for an extra 60 cents I can get a large drink stateside ! There ya go, a drink and a dog with all the trimmings or... a puny bite sized dried bun dog from downtown tokyo for twice the price... gee mensa, which you gonna choose ?

Now look at this deception from freakashow...

"Uh, yeah, but on "tightwad" couples day, ladies day, and the first of every month, it's 1000 yen ($9.00). In New York, $10 for the price of a movie (and that was back in 2003)."

Lemme see, yer actually comparing the "specials" with the everyday prices ??? Hmmm, you best concede that point ! Hell specials in the states go from $1.50 kiddie matinees to $3 Tue/wed night specials !!!

And this ???

"You obviously don't know how to shop, do you? The local sake shop I go to sells a tall can of Asahi for 149 yen."

Wow, at the current exchange rate thats a $1.40 !!! I can get two quality cans of beer sateside for that... 3-4 if its the same quality as Asahi !!!

and finally... for the math challenged out there...

"uh, where the hell did you get $20? Last I heard, the dollar was trading at 104, so that would mean 1800 yen is roughly 17 dollars!"

And today it's trading at 107 ! so... thats $16 and 80 cents... for a regular ticket... but if ya want the reserved... gonna cost ya more bucky ! Yep, bend over one more time !!!

freakashow, kwabish, zenbuilder et al... get real ! There's a reason why this article continues to get recycled every 6 months... its a fact ! Japan is expensive ! Damn expensive ! Because markets are closed to free trade ! Japan is run by powerful lobby groups that scandalously work together to keep out foreign competition ! Cartels, kickbacks, media campaigns against foreign products... you think its all coincidence ??? Bwahahaha !

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Butter has been missing from the shelves of Japanese supermarkets for months now ! And when it does appear... almost 480 yen for a small cube.

I don't know where you do your shopping westurn-chan, but you really ought to try the kind of shops everyone else uses. There is butter in the supermarkets. Yes some places are limiting customers to one packet at a time, but it's only temporary and how much do you need anyway ferchrissakes? And the price; my local super raised the price to a scandalous 379 yen for a 200g packet. It's kinda brick-shaped, not a cube. I've never seen anyone selling cubes of butter here, and I've never seen them charging over 400 yen for it.

Change your shopping haunts before you bankrupt yourself or have a nervous breakdown.

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Cleo... I thought with all the time you spent posting here at Japantoday that you would at least be aware of the headlines... which read:

-Butter supplies running short at supermarkets; price hikes planned Sunday 06th April

-Japan running short of butter Friday 02nd May

-Calpis to raise butter prices Wednesday 26th March,

-Japan to import 5,000 tons of butter over fear of shortage Thursday 26th June,

But hey, if you insist there's lots of butter out there... who am I, and Japantoday, to quibble !

And prices ? For the small box of Hokkaido butter... 458 yen ! As for changing my shopping districts... you realize it costs bus and train fare to do that ! I think Carrefour learned the hard way, folks aint gonna travel an hour by train to save 30 yen on milk ! best brush up on your Econ 101 Cleo !

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westurn -

Never mind the headlines (which are all ancient history, by the way...) spend a little time shopping in real shops. The butter is there. It costs 379 yen, which is a scandalous 100 yen or so more than it used to cost, but it isn't over 400 yen. It isn't a small box, it's the size it has always been, 200g. I've never seen any that cost over 400 yen.

folks aint gonna travel an hour by train to save 30 yen on milk !

You live in the big city and your nearest reasonably-priced supermarket is over an hour away by train?? What piffle. It doesn't take me much more than an hour to get all the way out here to the wilds of Tochigi from Shinjuku. Maybe you just don't know your way around? Or you can't read the Japanese labels and are stuck with the high-priced import shops where everything is in English?

By the way, if you do like cheap prices and import shops, try your local Yamaya. No milk, but pasta, olive oil, muesli, coffee, tea, canned tomatoes and scotch are cheap and more than make up for the cost of the petrol, and there are lots of other goodies that aren't stocked in the regular supermarkets.

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Cleo... ancient history ??? You call last month (June 26th) ancient history ???

"You live in the big city and your nearest reasonably-priced supermarket is over an hour away by train?? What piffle"

no didn't say that ! But you have lived in Japan long enough to know that "price controls" ensure that whatever Ito-Yokado is selling, Daiei has the same price. Thus is the world of competition in Japan. So... the only way to get around the price controls is to venture out to those locals that simply don't play the game... gee, tochigi maybe ??? Utsunomiya ?

As for Yamaya ... used to love it, now I only tolerate it ! They had the nerve to raise their pasta prices almost 100% a few months back... lost this customer ! But once again Cleo, you are suggesting that I shop at a variety of places... this increases the cost of my transportation and takes undo amount of time. And time is money ! Too bad I can't just whip into the local stateside supermarket, with all them coupons and everyday low prices ! Again, Japan is overpriced and this article, like dozens before, simply tells it like it is. You Euro expats can stammer around slack jawwed all you like... but Japan remains one of the most expensive places on the planet... simply due to closed markets and unfair trading practices. Get real... we could have tons of cheap oishii US butter at the Chiba docks in a week. So whats the problem ??? Why am I forced to pay outlandish prices for such a small amount of product ? And why is a single bag of instant ramen sold for 120 yen, or $1.17 ??? In the US they are sold 10 for a dollar around the college campuses ! Why is Japan 10X's the price ??? Hopeless ! The nation is simply hopeless !

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Yamaya ... They had the nerve to raise their pasta prices almost 100% a few months back

Are you sure, or are you exaggerating again? The big bags of shell pasta used to be just 200 yen, they went up to 228 yen when world wheat prices went up. I'm no whizz-kid at maths, and of course from the consumers' point of view no increase is preferable to any increase, but 28 yen on 200 is not an increase of 'almost 100%'.

you are suggesting that I shop at a variety of places

No, I'm suggesting that you stop shopping at these places you seem to have found that charge so much more than your average Japanese supermarket.

Get real... we could have tons of cheap oishii US butter at the Chiba docks in a week.

Butter made with milk from cows fed on chicken litter? No thanks.

Bags of instant ramen don't interest me - we're talking about food prices.

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Cleo, FYI, US food products are the safest and most tasty in the world, FACT. The Japanese are a rip off society, where the rich use the poorer folk, unlike US, where everyone has a chance to live the dream and succeed. Japan has to become like its defender, the good ol US of A, and learn to look after all the people.

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Cleo... Yamaya in Shinjuku used to sell 500 grams of pasta for 105 yen ! The best deal in town. Today ??? Well over 200 yen for the same product ! And... "Butter made with milk from cows fed on chicken litter? No thanks." What makes you think the butter sold here in Japan isn't ? Lemme guess... "Cause they told me so" ? Sorry, this cowboy don't buy it... too many food scandals in Japan, which by the way, maybe I should re-consider ! I mean without these ongoing scandals and mislabelings, theres no telling how expensive food products would really be ! I mean in the US we import for economic reasons... it adds competition to the market place thus driving down prices. In Japan ??? No way ! In Japan they import for the sheer purpose of jacking the price to gouge the customer. Imported goods are seen as luxury items ! Well I say "phooey" on that nonsense ! I'll take Uncle Sams way anyday !!!

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Surge -

Thank you for informing me, without that information I would not have known. Strange how when my rellies in Florida send me presents of food (for Christmas etc) they order them from the UK, instead of sending stuff from the US? I like to think it's 'cos they want to send me stuff that's safe and tasty....

westurn -

You buy turkish pasta? Granted it's not bad for the price, but I hadn't noticed it had doubled in price. Still got half a bag in the pantry .... the big shell pasta is nicer.

Moderator: Back on topic please.

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Japan provides 2nd class foodstuffs at expensive prices, that bare hard for the average joe to afford. It is a 2nd class country in providing value for money.

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Westurn sure is doing a good job promoting the US as a place to eat out. $2 hotdogs from 7-11, nstant noodles from college campuses and cheap Bud - that's sure to draw in the wealthy expats.

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Tokyo is a big rip off, can`t stand the place. Why so expensive???

roomtemperature; no good pointing me to your liberal websites, i know unbiased reporting when i see it.

I suppose you regard Oreilly as biased?? didnt think so, cos you cant back it up can you?

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Tokyo is not expensive!! You make it expensive yourself!!

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Wow! Things never seem to change. Westurn's comments are always a good read for a laugh. I come back from the States (Thank god I did, cause I've been losing a ton of money), and I see this:

Hell a Budweiser goes for $1.89 a can in Tokyo !!! I get em for half that price on the west coast !

Yo homie, you been gettin ripped off. I'm glad I can get a 500l can of Yebisu (frankly the best in my book) for 69 yen ($0.65) at a nice liquor shop (run by the nicest obasan you'll ever meet) near my humble abode.

A bowl of Ramen in Tokyo ??? 700-900 yen ($6.80-$8.80) !

Wow! You tryin ta go fancy? I tend to like stuffin my face with a bit of good ol 200 yen ramen. A little oily (on par with the greasy burgers I had back home), but fills me up.

Or 6 slices of bread for 178 yen ($1.60) ???

If you like shopping in upscale Shirogane, or like buying import from Kinokuniya, I won't stop you. Me? I like to buy my 8 slices for the decent price of 118 yen, or 98 yen when it has that nice little "waribiki" sticker on it.

As for movies. I couldn't believe the outrageous prices nowadays. Over 10 bucks for a non-matinee movie! With popcorn and drinks, you are looking to spend like 15-16 dollars (twice that if you are on a date) for a movie. It's gotten to the point where going to the movies ain't a cheap date anymore. And I swear, anywhere I try to sit in the theaters back home, I end up with my sneakers STUCK TO THE FLOOR! I could've sworn I felt something moving down between the seats. In Japan, I've only once had the "sticky floor effect" at a movie theater.

Back to beer: I don't know why, but back in the States, you get some places serving some lukewarm beer. If I want lukewarm beer, I could just get it from the bottles stocked in the supermarket (and then it would probably be colder still). I don't know about you Westurn, but I like my beer cold!

As for eggs, I'm glad that I'm back in Japan where I can get my nice carton of ten eggs for a decent price of 88 yen. Back home, I was paying something like a buck 80 for a dozen. Highway robbery, if you ask me.

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Chouwa... warm beer ? 10 dollar movies ? Losin' money ??? No chance in hell you were in "Da States"... dude musta landed in Canada ! Warm beer ??? Americans could never be so European ! Thanks for the laugh though !

And hey... 69 yen for a can of Yebisu ??? In Japan ??? Name please ! No honestly ! Name please, location, etc ! I expect a run on that obasans outfit. But then again... bwahaha !

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Time to put chouwa to bed ! From the front page of todays Forbes magazine article: Read it and weep campers...

"Mercer's 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Moscow tops the list with a score of 142.4, up 6% from last year--and 42% higher than New York, the most expensive city in the U.S. The Russian capital is followed by Tokyo; London; Oslo, Norway; and Seoul, South Korea."

And this part is especially for them "warm beer drinkers" out there !

"New York fell from No. 15 to No. 22,"

"Los Angeles is the second-priciest city in the U.S., but Hollywood's denizens can't cry poverty just yet: At No. 55, Los Angeles is cheaper than the best neighborhoods of Lagos, Nigeria (No. 30); Almaty, Kazakhstan (No. 44); and Zagreb, Croatia (No. 49)."

And how about Tokyo....yeh, real affordable ??? Not !!!

"while Japan's economy is stagnating, Tokyo is as expensive as ever. For American travelers, the city's real estate prices are the highest in the world--a two-bedroom luxury apartment costs over $5,100 per month, about $600 more than a comparable pad in Moscow or New York."

Not even close kiddies, hands down... facts over exagerated opinions... yer winner, by tko... "da cowboy" !

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Westurn: I think it's possible for Tokyo to be number 2 on the list and still have cheaper prices on foodstuff than New York. The report by Forbes includes in the cost of living rent, which as you pointed out is a lot higher in Tokyo than New York. If the report was based solely on food prices, the rankings would probably change quite a bit. Food prices tend to exhibit more variability across the board, so you all could conceivably be right. Seeing as it's all anecdotal evidence, why not try visiting one of the stores the other posters mentioned?

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"I think it's possible for Tokyo to be number 2 on the list and still have cheaper prices on foodstuff than New York."

Thats a stretch ! Remember New York came in at 22 ! The survey is about "cost of living", which includes food. I've given fair examples of food prices, I've asked chouwa to name the local with the 69 yen yebisu.. to date, no response, and I don't expect one. That alone speaks volumes for the authenticity of the post. I was just in the USA, I even brought back the sunday paper food adds to show locals here what they're missing out on. Food is just plain expensive in Tokyo !

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Funny how Chouwa produces the numbers and then glosses right over them like they have no meaning !

"Also, in a 2004 CNN Money article, the average U.S. ticket price in 2003, was $6.25."

Wow Chouwa, that cheap ??? Again hoser... the "average" ! Which means some prices are, yes, less... maybe much less than $6.25 !!!

Oh, And in Japan ??? 1,800 yen !!! Do the math ! Japan is 3x's more expensive ! And food at these theatres ??? As expensive as all get out in Japan... and they don't let you roam around into other theatres like I can in the US ! Hell I can see 2-3 movies nowadays without anyone giving a hoot... because they know I'll buy popcorn, drinks, dogs etc !

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http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2008/03/09/surging_costs_of_groceries_hit_home/

According to this post, eggs in the U.S. are on average $2.18 now for a dozen. But wait, isn't the average price for ten eggs about 158 yen ($1.47). Now if we calculate that rate for a dozen eggs, we come to $1.76. That my friends is a savings of 42 cents.

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Oh, And in Japan ??? 1,800 yen !!! Do the math ! Japan is 3x's more expensive ! And food at these theatres ??? As expensive as all get out in Japan... and they don't let you roam around into other theatres like I can in the US ! Hell I can see 2-3 movies nowadays without anyone giving a hoot... because they know I'll buy popcorn, drinks, dogs etc !

You are forgetting, that food prices in U.S. theaters are outrageous, and they don't let you bring in outside food. Here in Japan, I can bring in a full-size bento without anyone batting an eye. I can bring in all the 98 yen goodies I can carry into the theaters and not spend one yen on the food in the theaters.

Moderator: Chouwa and westurn, enough of this childish tit-for-tat.

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hahahaha 500ml Yebisu for 69 yen

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Oh... and less we forget...

"The study takes New York as the base measure for prices, comparing over 200 items, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment, in 143 cities across the globe."

Hmmm, food and entertainment ??? Ya don't say !

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Heck, Japanese are too placid to ask why are they paying so much for essentials.

In the US we have true free markets, everyone can afford to live the good life. You don`t see suffering due to expensive prices in the States, in Japan the poverty is everywhere.

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London is more expensive than Tokyo now, but of course when you spank 3grand in Seventh Heaven in a night it`ll be expensive....

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In the US we have true free markets, everyone can afford to live the good life. You don`t see suffering due to expensive prices in the States, in Japan the poverty is everywhere.

That's right. Japan should ease up a bit on the piracy laws. In the States, although I would never think of buying one myself, it is much easier to buy pirated CDs and DVDs. In Japan, I'm just amazed at how tight they check your bags at customs, and scan them for illegal imports and copies. You can even see the many displays showing people what is not allowed into the country. In the States, nothing of the sort. Business is business, legal or not. That's the true meaning of capitalism.

It's the reason why some movie theaters in smaller markets are charging cheaper costs to attract the typical moviegoer. Attendance is down in the U.S. 1.42 billion tickets were sold last year, compared to 1.6 billion in 2002.

Why do you ask? Well of course, most people know that there are other cheaper sources for their entertainment, and all officials can do is warn the public of piracy and illegal Internet websites, without the actual enforcement of the law.

In Japan, fat chance of finding any shop selling pirated stuff. The police are here may not be good at stopping violent crime, but they crackdown on the white-collar stuff like hellfire.

It is why theaters can charge so much, as Westurn likes to point out, and as Westurn points out, the theaters are still so crowded with people. The Japanese mindset is one of paying the price to abide the law. Remember market rules, As demand goes up, so does the price. As demand goes down, the price will go down. It's that simple.

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Corruption and scandal are possibly the biggest reasons Japanese pay the prices they do ! And Moscow at #1, well I would argue the same !

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