As it's mid way though the recruiting season, I thought I'd start a thread which will either be very helpful or of little help.
It's a basic master list of what wage is needed in different cities to live comfortable. Note that as always this is open to people personal opinons to some degree. Here are the basic requirements
(1) City:
(2) Monthly Wage (USD$ after tax with comfortable lifestyle and ability to save 10K a year):
(3) Monthly rental allowance (in local currency on top of monthly wage for a confortable single person's apartment)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City: Tokyo
Monthly Wage: $4,000
Monthly Rental: 100,000 Yen minimum (20 sq meters starts from 50,000 yen)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City: Kaohsiung/Taipei
Monthly Wage: $3000
Monthly Rental: 12,000 TWD Kaohsiung, 20,000 TWD Taipei
Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
Reply
@sciteach
I know a lot of people in Tokyo, and a number in Taipei who would be salivating at those kind of numbers. I know a lot of ITs making about $3K a month, but then again you have saving expectations, and comfortable is subjective.
I know a lot of people in Tokyo, and a number in Taipei who would be salivating at those kind of numbers. I know a lot of ITs making about $3K a month, but then again you have saving expectations, and comfortable is subjective.
-
Rhysboy
Re: Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
100,000 yen a month is not going to get you very much in Tokyo (maybe 2 bedrooms if you are lucky).
Discussion
Well 100K¥ will get you a 1DK about 26m in the CBD close to the Yamanote. It can get you a really nice 1LDK outside the CBD. A nothing special 2K or run down 2DK, but then your living way outside the CBD, pretty much in Chiba or Saitima.
Re: Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
As mentioned above - it's open to general interpretation but I think it's best if this thread dies a quick death as it goes down list of responded posts.
In relation to costs of accommodation in Tokyo - it really depends on distance from the station. I used to live a 5 minute bike ride from Motomachi Chugukai in Yokohama and rented an 80 square meter apartment for around 130,000 yen a month. That same apartment would be 220,000 right next to the same station.
I've also managed to rent a short term fully furnished apartment (albeit 35 square meter) in an older building in Hiyoshi for 120,000 yen a week (with an English speaking doorman - luck of the draw)....
Knowing locals or having excellent school support can make a huge difference in getting a good but reasonably priced place.
50,000 yen basically gets you a 20 square meter tatami room and a very small bathroom in an old dorm style building without an elevator. There are actually quite a few of these places....
In relation to costs of accommodation in Tokyo - it really depends on distance from the station. I used to live a 5 minute bike ride from Motomachi Chugukai in Yokohama and rented an 80 square meter apartment for around 130,000 yen a month. That same apartment would be 220,000 right next to the same station.
I've also managed to rent a short term fully furnished apartment (albeit 35 square meter) in an older building in Hiyoshi for 120,000 yen a week (with an English speaking doorman - luck of the draw)....
Knowing locals or having excellent school support can make a huge difference in getting a good but reasonably priced place.
50,000 yen basically gets you a 20 square meter tatami room and a very small bathroom in an old dorm style building without an elevator. There are actually quite a few of these places....
Reply
@sciteach
I agree that location in the city and location relative to the station means drive housing prices. Ive also seen very nice apartment in the 80K¥ range that were furnished I lived in one. I also lived in a 110K¥ apartment that was a dump (but had an amazing garden and was 40m). I disagree with the position that you have to spend 100K+¥ to live comfortably or even well in Tokyo.
Thats close though I wouldnt call them dorms, just a functional apartment buildings but you do get a kitchen, otherwise your referencing a 1R apartment or guest house and Ive seen guest houses that were 100K¥ for a 1R. You get an elevator around 60K¥. A LOT of people live in those 50K¥-60K¥ apartments though a lot of them. There is a lot less tatami in apartments that are now just wood laminate.
Lofts are becoming a lot more trendy and common were they put a narrow staircase up to an alcove above the living room where you place your futon and a shelf for your phone and a light.
I agree that location in the city and location relative to the station means drive housing prices. Ive also seen very nice apartment in the 80K¥ range that were furnished I lived in one. I also lived in a 110K¥ apartment that was a dump (but had an amazing garden and was 40m). I disagree with the position that you have to spend 100K+¥ to live comfortably or even well in Tokyo.
Thats close though I wouldnt call them dorms, just a functional apartment buildings but you do get a kitchen, otherwise your referencing a 1R apartment or guest house and Ive seen guest houses that were 100K¥ for a 1R. You get an elevator around 60K¥. A LOT of people live in those 50K¥-60K¥ apartments though a lot of them. There is a lot less tatami in apartments that are now just wood laminate.
Lofts are becoming a lot more trendy and common were they put a narrow staircase up to an alcove above the living room where you place your futon and a shelf for your phone and a light.
Re: Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
Does anyone know How much per month in Baht would you need to live comfortably in Bangkok
Re: Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
(1) City: Singapore
(2) Monthly Wage (USD$ after tax with comfortable lifestyle and ability to save 10K a year): 3000- US/about 4,000SGD
(3) Monthly rental allowance (in local currency on top of monthly wage for a confortable single person's apartment):SGD 2500- for a studio closer to MRT
(2) Monthly Wage (USD$ after tax with comfortable lifestyle and ability to save 10K a year): 3000- US/about 4,000SGD
(3) Monthly rental allowance (in local currency on top of monthly wage for a confortable single person's apartment):SGD 2500- for a studio closer to MRT
Re: Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
There is a website for international cost of living comparisons which is extrememly good. www.numbeo.com
Re: Master List - Comfortable Wage Per City
Re: Bangkok...If you're happy with a studio apartment a bit of a walk from a BTS station and enjoy going out, you can live comfortably off of 40,000 baht a month. If you want a nicer apartment near a BTS line, that figure goes up considerably. If you want to live comfortably AND travel AND save something, you need to be looking at 80,000+.
Discussion
@Route66
Depends how you define comfortable? A lot of ESOL teachers think they are living comfortably on 30K BT. The bottom of the IT scale is about 60K BT, and the top is about 120K BT. I would agree that 80K BT is where quality of life gets fun.
Savings though is different, you can live very well on 80K BT but thats less than $2500 a month which is less than 30K USD a year, thats not a very big pool to save anything out of. You could really be frugal and not have more than a couple thousand saved at the end of a year.
@fine dude
You need closer to 5K SD in Singapore. A 1BR (1DK) (not a room share) goes for about 2500 SD a month. You can cut costs down greatly if you do a room share. Transportation (metro) is very inexpensive and probably the best deal you will get, but everything else is expensive. Singapore is a knowledge economy so consumables all have to be imported, its almost cheaper to eat out than it is too cook at home.
Depends how you define comfortable? A lot of ESOL teachers think they are living comfortably on 30K BT. The bottom of the IT scale is about 60K BT, and the top is about 120K BT. I would agree that 80K BT is where quality of life gets fun.
Savings though is different, you can live very well on 80K BT but thats less than $2500 a month which is less than 30K USD a year, thats not a very big pool to save anything out of. You could really be frugal and not have more than a couple thousand saved at the end of a year.
@fine dude
You need closer to 5K SD in Singapore. A 1BR (1DK) (not a room share) goes for about 2500 SD a month. You can cut costs down greatly if you do a room share. Transportation (metro) is very inexpensive and probably the best deal you will get, but everything else is expensive. Singapore is a knowledge economy so consumables all have to be imported, its almost cheaper to eat out than it is too cook at home.