Cost of Living in Kobe

You'll have a lot of freedom if you live by yourself, but there are many costs that come with this lifestyle, so it's important to get an idea of how much money you'll need each month in order to live comfortably.

Living Expenses

Source: Result of Consultation with Universities in Kobe City

*Foreign exchange rates shown here are the "Reference Foreign Exchange Rates" published by the Bank of Japan on May 20, 2022.

Student A

Freshman from China at Kobe University
Housing: Two-person room in a dorm for international students
Method of Transport to School: Train
Travel Time to School: Less than an hour
Time to Nearest Station (One-way): Less than 10 minutes walking

Living Expenses	Japanese yen	US dollars
Rent	35,000yen	US$277.78
Food Expenses (excluding eating out)	30,000yen	US$238.10
Eating Out Expenses	10,000yen	US$79.37
Light, Heating & Water	5,000yen	US$39.68
Transportation	10,000yen	US$79.37
Books & School Supplies	2,000yen	US$15.87
Phone & Communications Fees	7,000yen	US$55.56
Recreational Expenses	3,000yen	US$23.81
National Health Insurance	2,000yen	US$15.87
Other Expenses	0yen	US$0.00

Total …104,000yen(US$825.40)

Student B

Senior from Vietnam at the University of Marketing and Distribution Sciences
Housing: Living alone in an apartment
Method of Transport to School: Train
Travel Time to School: Less than an hour
Time to Nearest Station (One-way): Less than 5 minutes walking

Living Expenses	Japanese yen	US dollars
Rent	43,000yen	US$341.27
Food Expenses (excluding eating out)	30,000yen	US$238.10
Eating Out Expenses	5,000yen	US$39.68
Light, Heating & Water	10,000yen	US$79.37
Transportation	8,000yen	US$63.49
Books & School Supplies	10,000yen	US$79.37
Phone & Communications Fees	4,000yen	US$31.75
Recreational Expenses	5,000yen	US$39.68
National Health Insurance	3,000yen	US$23.81
Other Expenses	5,000yen	US$39.68

Total …123,000yen(US$976.19)

Student C

Freshman from China at Kobe University
Housing: Living alone in a low-cost apartment
Method of Transport to School: Bicycle
Travel Time to School (One-Way): Less than 10 mnutes
Time to Nearest Station (One-way): Less than 10 minutes walking

Living Expenses	Japanese yen	US dollars
Rent	50,000yen	US$396.83
Food Expenses (excluding eating out)	30,000yen	US$238.10
Eating Out Expenses	3,000yen	US$23.81
Light, Heating & Water	10,000yen	US$79.37
Transportation	0yen	US$0.00
Books & School Supplies	5,000yen	US$39.68
Phone & Communications Fees	2,000yen	US$15.87
Recreational Expenses	1,000yen	US$7.94
National Health Insurance	2,000yen	US$15.87
Other Expenses	5,000yen	US$39.68

Total …108,000yen(US$857.14)

Pricing on Everyday Goods

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Statistics Bureau May, 2022 Retail Pricing Statistics Survey (Trend Compilation)
*Foreign exchange rates shown here are the "Reference Foreign Exchange Rates" published by the Bank of Japan on May 20, 2022.

Sample Price Index for Food Items

Product name	Japanese yen	US dollars
Regular rice (Koshi hikari, 5 kg)	2,253yen	US$17.88
Sliced bread（1kg）	470yen	US$3.73
Salmon（100g）	235yen	US$1.87
Eggs (Pack of 10）	235yen	US$1.87
Chicken（100g）	131yen	US$1.04
Ham（100g）	208yen	US$1.65
Cabbage（1kg）	235yen	US$1.87
Milk（1,000ml）	215yen	US$1.71
Cheese (domestic product, 100 g)	205yen	US$1.63
Mineral water (2,000 ml)	100yen	US$0.79

Sample Price Index for Eating Out

An illustration of an example of restaurant food.

Product name	Japanese yen	US dollars
Bento boxed lunch with fried chicken	481yen	US$3.82
Udon noodles	693yen	US$5.50
Nigiri sushi bento box	810yen	US$6.43
Beef rice bowl	430yen	US$3.41
Curry and rice	731yen	US$5.80
Hamburger	199yen	US$1.58
Spaghetti	661yen	US$5.25
Pizza (delivery)	1,983yen	US$15.74
Coffee (eat out/at a café)	525yen	US$4.17
Piece of sponge cake	480yen	US$3.81

Taxes

Every person living in Japan is required to pay Japanese taxes. Here we'll be explaining taxes for international students.

Consumption Tax

Consumption tax is the additional taxation fee added onto the price of goods and services. In October, 2019, the consumption tax in Japan was changed to 10%. The price of items whose price tag includes consumption tax are "uchizei" (tax-inclusive), and those for which the consumption tax is listed separately are "gaizei" (tax-exclusive).

See more about consumption tax別ウィンドウ

Income Tax

*For those with part-time jobs

Income tax is the tax collected on the income an individual earns in a year. The tax rate is calculated and applied to your remaining taxable income once income deductions have been subtracted from your total income for the year. Generally, this tax will be paid when it is subtracted from your income by your company, so even if you are an international student working a part-time job, if you earn more than the set standard, income tax will be applied and deducted from your salary.

See more about income tax別ウィンドウ

Municipal Tax

*For those with an annual income over 1,030,000 yen

Municipal tax is the tax collected by local governments. The tax amount is determined based on the area where you live and your previous years' income.

See more about Kobe City Prefectural Tax (Japanese only)別ウィンドウ

Year-End Tax Adjustment/Final Tax Return

Every month, your company will deduct income and municipal taxes from your salary, but students do not need to pay income tax if their annual income is less than 1,030,000 yen. The year-end tax adjustment ("nenmatsu chosei") or final tax return ("kakutei shinkoku") are used to settle the excess or deficiency in taxes paid. Year-end tax adjustment is done by your company. If your company does not make this year-end taxadjustment, you will need to file a tax return with the tax office.

See more about final tax returns別ウィンドウ

Life

Cost of Living in Kobe

Part-time Work in Kobe

In Case of Emergency

Studying Abroad During COVID-19